Explore every episode of the podcast Kritiqal Care
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 90: Will Uhl | 09 août 2025 | 00:46:39 | |
Will Uhl (they/them) is a tabletop game designer whose work explores inter-player relationships, unconventional mechanics, and high drama. We discuss balancing narrative conflict and player safety, providing structure to micro-RPGs, and why card-based systems might be better than dice? You can keep up with Will’s work on Bluesky @raffitheowl.bsky.social, support their work on Comradery, and play their games on itch. Will’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 89: q1 | 06 juil. 2025 | 00:32:17 | |
q1 (he/him) is a musician, writer, and game developer who makes playful and sometimes haunted tiny games. In this short and sweet episode we discuss the curious social experience of riding the subway, the beautiful limitations of small game engines, and viewing the game creation process like writing a song. You can learn more about q1 on his website, follow him on Bluesky @quewon.bsky.social, and play his games on itch. q1’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 88: Sandy Weisz | 07 juin 2025 | 00:47:04 | |
Sandy Weisz (he/him) is a puzzle designer out of Chicago whose games focus on team-building, environmental clues, and wordplay. This year he began creating the daily puzzle game, RADDLE, and took some time to chat with me about its EnigMarch origins, how to write a good clue, and balancing puzzle difficulty. We also discuss designing puzzles for groups and an elaborate birthday hunt that went terribly wrong. You can learn more about Sandy’s puzzles on his website, follow him on Bluesky @pzlr.org, and sign up for his newsletter. Sandy’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 87: Claire Morwood | 13 avr. 2025 | 00:37:25 | |
Claire Morwood (she/her) is an indie game developer whose work explores multimedia interactivity, handmade assets, and introspective narratives. She joined me to discuss her most recent project, Asterism, an interactive concept album about exploring the galaxy. We touch on writing music for play, how creating the game from physical objects impacted its design, and the value of a detailed dev log. Later we remember how good libraries are. You can learn more about Claire’s games on her website and follow her on Bluesky @shimmerglitch.bsky.social. Claire’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 86: Terry Cavanagh | 02 mars 2025 | 00:44:24 | |
Terry Cavanagh (he/him) is an Irish indie developer know for games like Super Hexagon and Dicey Dungeons. He joined me on the show to discuss developing ideas out of game jams, being drawn to new tools and platforms, and games as social spaces. Later we dive into his new collection, Terry’s Other Games, which compiles many of his small projects across more than a decade. You can learn more about Terry’s games on his website and follow him on Bluesky @terrycavanaghgames.com Terry’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 85: Mortally Moonstruck Games | 09 févr. 2025 | 00:41:45 | |
Autumn Greenley (she/they) and Zaozoruzhna (he/him) are two members of the indie game studio, Mortally Moonstruck Games, who for the last few years they have been working on the mushroom girl cultivating game/RPG/visual novel,Mushroom Musume.They joined me for this episode to discuss the game’s origins, how it grew from a game jam experiment to a much larger project, adapting tabletop principles to a videogame, and their favorite mushroom girls. Later, I get some pointers on how to start foraging. You can learn more about Mortally Moonstruck’s games ontheir website and onitch. You can follow Autumn and Zao on Bluesky@autumnotopia and@zaozoruzhna. Autumn and Zao’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music byDesired. It's available onPocket Casts,Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL onKo-Fi. | |||
| The End of 2024 | 04 janv. 2025 | 00:57:02 | |
Content warning: brief mention of suicide around the 48-51 minute mark. 2024 has come and gone which means it’s time for our annual retrospective episode, where I ask former guests of the show to share their favorite gaming memories of the year. As always the responses were incredibly thoughtful, introspective, and touched on so much more than just the games we play but how they impact our lives. It’s always a joy to produce this episode and I want to give a big thanks to everyone that took part in it. Thanks for joining me for another great year of Kritiqal Care, and happy new year! Featuring Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 84: Nevyn Holmes (Dinoberry Press) | 07 déc. 2024 | 00:48:02 | |
Nevyn Holms (any/all) is one half of indie tabletop studio Dinoberry Press, whose games explore collaborative crafts, asymmetric mechanics, and genre adaptation. They joined me to break down what draws them to physical objects as mechanics, creating shared buy in at a table, and the importance of fucked up little guys. You can learn more about Dinoberry’s games on their website and on itch. Nevyn’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 83: Ayu Koyama | 02 nov. 2024 | 00:34:37 | |
Ayu Koyama (she/her), aka sweetfish, is an interactive fiction writer and designer whose work explores religion, history, and digital play. In this episode we chat about what drew her to interactive fiction as a form, how that intersects with her experimental web design projects, and the ways a distant relationship with Catholicism influences her games. In closing we invite you to read old books. You can learn more about Ayu’s projects on her personal website and play her games on itch. Ayu’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 82: Kyou System | 05 oct. 2024 | 00:45:56 | |
Content warning: this episode briefly discusses suicidal ideation Kyou System (they/them) is an artist and game developer whose work explores the profound and incoherent world of dreams. We discuss the nocturnal origins of their first game, Remembrance, revisiting and remaking it half a decade later, embracing a more expressionistic writing style, and getting involved in visual novel game jams. Finally, we implore you to consider backgammon. You can learn more about Kyou’s projects on their personal website and play their games on itch. Kyou’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 81: rileylessthan9 | 14 sept. 2024 | 00:37:10 | |
Content warning: this episode briefly discusses blood imagery rileylessthannine (it/its) is a multimedia artist and game developer whose work explores the tension between abrasion and hope. In this episode we chat about its collage visual style, getting emotional over code, and the absurdity of people trying to ignore trans representation in itch games. Elsewhere, we collectively stare in befuddlement at Square-Enix’s various business ventures. You can learn more about Riley’s games on itch and its personal website. Riley’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 80: Kasey Ozymy | 03 août 2024 | 01:00:04 | |
Kasey Ozymy (he/him) is an indie RPG developer whose work draws from 16-bit classics and deep cuts. In this episode we chat about what interests him about RPGs, the design and writing philosophy behind modern classic Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass, and how the upcoming Hymn to the Earless God will be an even more complex project. You can learn more about Kasey’s games on Steam, and follow him on Twitter @KaseyOzymy. Kasey’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 79: Xiri | 06 juil. 2024 | 00:41:49 | |
Xiri (he/him) is the creator of the sublime BL visual novel series, HITME, among other games exploring queer relationships and the end of the world. He took some time away from the upcoming HITM3 to chat with me about transitioning from music videos to games, how film influences his work, and a world where everybody is gay. You can learn more about Xiri’s games on itch, and follow him on cohost @akaxiri. Xiri’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 78: Austin Ramsay | 08 juin 2024 | 00:44:58 | |
Austin Ramsay (he/him) is a tabletop RPG designer best known for Beam Saber, a Forged in the Dark game about mech pilots fighting an endless war. He joined me on this episode to talk about going from writing “imagination games” as a kid to 400+ page RPGs, creating rules that encourage player/GM collaboration, and how fun it can be to have a character go AWOL. You can learn more about Austin’s games on itch, and follow him on cohost @AustinRamsayGames. Austin’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed - CalazCon, upcoming actual play podcast Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 77: Sylvie | 04 mai 2024 | 00:38:04 | |
Sylvie (she/her) is a prolific creator of challenging platformers, action RPGs, and games about cats. She sat down with me to discuss her design philosophy based in constraints, games as conversations, and her esoteric entry into the year of bump combat. Later, she 1CCs an arcade cult classic. You can learn more about Sylvie’s games and writing on her website, and follow her on cohost @sylvie. Sylvie’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 76: Meredith Gran | 06 avr. 2024 | 00:47:10 | |
Meredith Gran (she/her) is a comics artist and game designer, best known for her webcomic, Octopus Pie and the adventure game Perfect Tides. She sat down with me to talk about her experience coming to games from a comics background, how Perfect Tides’ mechanics where influenced by teenage naivety, and why the 00s are such a rich period for coming of age stories. Finally, we wrap up with a teaser for the upcoming sequel, Perfect Tides: Station to Station. You can learn more about Meredith’s games and comics on her website. Meredith’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Bonus: Death of a Wish | 16 mars 2024 | 00:46:41 | |
For the first Kritiqal Care bonus episode, returning guests Colin (he/they) of melessthanthree and Kevin Wong (they/them) join me to discuss their recently released action RPG, Death of a Wish. A more aggressive sequel to Lucah: Born of a Dream, Death of a Wish follows ex-antagonist Christian as he embarks on a revenge mission against the christofascist Sanctum. We discuss where the idea for a sequel came from, its themes emerging from contemporary anxieties and apathy, balancing thematic resonance with difficulty, and planning a coordinated marketing push for an effective team of two. Death of a Wish is available now on itch, Steam, and Switch. Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 75: Cecile Richard | 03 mars 2024 | 00:52:04 | |
Cecile Richard (they/them) is a graphic designer, writer, and game developer known for their playful Bitsy projects and hypertext fiction. They joined me to discuss cyclical stories, the risk/reward of collaborating with close friends, and how cool underground tunnels are. We also take a moment to proselytize about editors, and I learn about a new, extremely fake sounding sport. You can play Cecile’s games on itch, and follow them on cohost @haraiva. Cecile’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 74: David Su | 03 févr. 2024 | 00:50:21 | |
David Su (he/him) is a musician, audio programmer, and game designer who explores interactive music and performance art. He took some time off from his ballooning schedule to discuss how he got interested in making games from an audio background, the challenges and rewards of centering your game around sound, and the playful earnestness of a cloned sheep’s lament. Later, we wander into a video store. You can play Davids games on itch, and follow him on Twitter @usdivad. David’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| The End of 2023 | 31 déc. 2023 | 00:48:07 | |
It’s New Year’s Eve, which means 2023 has come and gone, bringing in closing our annual end of the year show. As is tradition, I reached out to past guests of the show to ask what their most impactful gaming memory was from the last 12 months. As this year has been particularly brutal to folks in and around games, I opened the prompt up to not exclusively focus on good memories, hoping instead to simply reflect on the year as a whole, positive and negative. The responses were as insightful, touching, and playful as ever, running the gamut from industry events, personal milestones, and games that captured people’s imaginations. I hope you enjoy this look back at 2023, and that you have a great 2024. Happy new year! Featuring Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 73: Domino Club | 03 déc. 2023 | 01:10:00 | |
Domino Club is a pseudo-anonymous internet collective that makes weird, horny, and genre perverting videogames. In this episode I’m joined by Domino Club card carrying members Emma (she/her), Nat (she/they), and Rose (she/her) to chat about the group’s origins, its unconventional approach to anthology projects, and how all these games are secretly just for them. We also dive into their latest jam, Humors & Humus, to discuss how each member approached the chickpea-less theme. You can find all of Domino Club’s games on itch and their website, and the group on Twitter @club_domino. Domino Club’s Cool Things to Share (more down below) Domino Club Games Discussed Other Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. View additional question answers from other Domino Club members on KRITIQAL. | |||
| Episode 72: Sam Machell (Sand Gardeners) | 14 oct. 2023 | 00:58:53 | |
Sam Machell (he/him) is half of indie game studio Sand Gardeners, known for provocative and unconventional games like Dark Kitchen, Memphis, Bubbleland, and Brownie Cove Cancelled. We chat about the studio’s origins as a webcomic collaboration, designing hostile environments, and the tragedy and possibility of unarchivable games. Later, Sam gives a brief eulogy for the Wii U, sadly taken from us too soon. You can play Sand Gardeners’s games on itch, and follow Sam on Instagram @sambehindglass. Sam’s Inspiring Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 71: Lili Zone | 02 sept. 2023 | 00:50:12 | |
Lili Zone (she/they) is the experimental game designer behind works like Crypt World (2013) and Crypt Underworld (2023). She took some time to chat with me about Crypt World’s origins, the nearly decade long development of Underworld, and what she has planned for the future now the crypts are behind her. We also dig into the evolving conception of indie games, the “small games matter” PR amnesia cycle, and gaming’s ongoing embarrassment and adoration for Great Men™️. You can play Lili’s games on itch, and her personal site. Lili’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 70: Canvas (bighandinsky) | 05 août 2023 | 01:05:37 | |
Canvas (he/she), aka bighandinsky, is the creator of crunchy, narrative driven scifi games A Forgetful Loop (2020) and A Day of Maintenance (2022). He’s collaborated with fellow writers and indie devs Freya Campbell and Elliot Herriman, and joined me on this episode to chat about integrating dense narration into mechanics heavy games, writing casual and circuitous conversations with robots, and the struggle of managing energy and stress during longterm projects. You can follow Canvas on Cohost @peterrobot, and play his games on itch. Canvas’ Cool/Inspiring Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 69: Leah Case | 01 juil. 2023 | 00:50:45 | |
Leah Case (she/her) is a writer and game developer who specializes in absurd Twine hacking. In our chat, she digs into why she loves Twine so much, how she approaches writing branching interactive fiction, and how collaborating as part of snotwurm lets her focus in on system building (in Twine, of course). She closes the show out by teasing a forthcoming visual novel strategy game, and recommending some further listening. You can follow Leah on Twitter @leahthecase, and play her games on itch. Leah's Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 68: Autumn Rain | 29 avr. 2023 | 00:52:22 | |
Autumn Rain (she/they/it) is a prolific game developer whose work explores religious trauma, non-linear exploration, and getting lost in a maze of rats. We discuss games as miserable piles of secrets, the importance of indie dev communities, and why it’s actually fine and good to troll gamers. You can follow Autumn on Twitter @slitherpunk, on Tumblr @slitherpunk, and play her games on itch. Autumns's Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 67: Lily Valeen | 02 avr. 2023 | 01:00:40 | |
Lily Valeen (she/they) is a game designer, writer, and artist who recently released BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart, a mobile action game about lesbian devil hunters. She joined me on the show to dive into BOSSGAME's development, the frustrating preconceptions around mobile games, and writing queer romance. Later on, we encourage you to befriend your cool mutuals. You can follow Lily on Twitter @ItsMeLilyV, and play her games on iOS, Android, and itch. Lily's Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 66: Kate Barrett | 04 mars 2023 | 00:52:49 | |
Kate Barrett (she/her) is a game developer and comic artist best known for her playful, irreverent, and frequently copyright infringing design philosophy, best showcased by games such as Ready Player Fuck (2017) and Pottergame (2020). She joined me this episode to retrace her curiosity-turned-obsession with Earnest Cline’s novel, evangelize her suitably unorthodox commitment to Blitz3D, and discuss the freedom that comes with embracing Glorious Trainwrecks. You can play Kate’s games on itch and Glorious Trainwrecks. Kate’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 65: Kenzie Shores (Hardcoded) | 04 févr. 2023 | 00:51:32 | |
Content warning: this episode is primarily about porn Kenzie Shores (she/her) is a game developer and artist best known for the pornographic visual novel, Hardcoded. Nearing the game’s full release, Kenzie joined me to chat about Hardcoded’s origins, the challenge of monetizing porn, and why it really sucks to work on the same game for seven years. You can follow Kenzie on Twitter @yoplatz, support Hardcoded on Patreon, and download the free demo on itch. Kenzie’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| 2022 Wrapped | 31 déc. 2022 | 01:22:35 | |
The year has come and gone in a Sonic hued blur, and as is now tradition, I reached out to prior Kritiqal Care guests to ask what their favorite gaming and/or gaming-adjacent memory was in 2022. The responses were truly incredible, spanning great games, communities, moments of personal growth, and surprising opportunities. This continues to be my favorite episode of the year, and I’m so glad to get to share it with you. Happy new year! Featuring Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 64: Dave Hoffman | 03 déc. 2022 | 01:05:42 | |
Dave Hoffman (they/them) is the creator of Mixolumia (davemakes, 2020), an arcade puzzle game combining contextual soundtracks with diamond-based combos. They came on the show to dig into the spontaneous origins of the game, how it continued to evolve and incorporate player creations, and the difficulty of marketing puzzle games in a streamer attention economy. Later, they admit to having never seen Goncharov (Martin Scorsese, 1973). You can follow Dave on Twitter @davemakes, on cohost @geometric, and purchase Mixolumia on itch, Steam, and Switch. Dave’s Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 63: Cosmo D | 05 nov. 2022 | 00:57:04 | |
Cosmo D (he/him) is a game developer and musician whose work explores urban life, the creator economy, and giant pizza demanding buildings. Hot off the release of Betrayal At Club Low (2022), Cosmo D sat down with me to detail his dramatic pivot out of music into games, finding a medium that inspires you to keep growing, and chasing his space trucker sim white whale. You can play Cosmo D’s games on Steam and itch, purchase the soundtracks on Bandcamp, and join his community on Discord. Cosmo D’s Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 62: Max Miller (Commonplace) | 01 oct. 2022 | 00:53:43 | |
Max Miller (they/them) is a composer, writer, and game designer. As part of new studio Pitter-Patter, they released Commonplace (2022), an ordinary adventure game about working in an office. For this episode, Max spent some time talking about the game’s experimental development, how they structured the soundtrack as a companion work, and a desire to make games that push against consumption driven mechanics. Spoiler advisory: we do not discuss many specific moments in Commonplace, but do talk a lot about the general structure and tone of the game. I’d recommend playing the game before listening, if only because everything will make much more sense. Commonplace is available on PC and Mac for free via itch. You can follow Max on Twitter @Funbil_ and keep up with Pitter-Patter @PitterPatterDev. Max’s Good Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 61: Goldie Bartlett & Jason Bakker (Wayward Strand) | 10 sept. 2022 | 00:54:24 | |
Wayward Strand (Ghost Pattern, 2022) is an upcoming adventure game which follows Casey - a teenager and aspiring journalist - as she explores a hospital airship floating above the Australian country-side. Two of its developers, Goldie Bartlett (she/her) and Jason Bakker (he/him), joined me on this episode to dive into the game's origins, how the continuous in-game clock allows for new forms of storytelling, and how collaborating with indigenous and mental health advocacy groups helped the team write richer, more honest characters. Wayward Strand releases September 15th, 2022 on Steam, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch. You can follow Goldie, Jason, and Ghost Pattern on Twitter @GhostTownGoldie, @jason_bakker, and @ghostpattern (respectively). Goldie and Jason's Inspiring Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 60: Adam Le Doux (Bitsy) | 06 août 2022 | 00:53:11 | |
Adam Le Doux (he/him) is a game and software developer best known for creating the tiny game engine, Bitsy. Just shy of Bitsy’s six-year birthday, Adam came on the show to talk about Bitsy’s unassuming origins and surprising evolution as part of the tiny games scene. Later, we discuss how Bitsy’s form sets in in opposition to conventional, capital driven games and software, the importance of the engine’s community, and how to preserve these games against the forces of tech oligarchies. You can find Adam’s games and tools on itch, and follow him on Twitter @adamledoux. Adam’s Cool Things to Share Things Discussed | |||
| Episode 59: spiders | 02 juil. 2022 | 00:47:42 | |
Spiders (they/them) are an alt game dev specializing in queer, grimy, anti-tech industry experiments. In this episode, we chat about their upcoming anthology game, The Museum of Radically Obsolete Futures, the tension between wanting to make shit that’s cool vs shit that sells, and how vital communities like The Queer Games Bundle are to the weird game scene. You can find spiders behind you, play their games on itch, and follow them on Twitter @spiderszzz. Spiders' Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 58: Son La Pham & Francis Tseng (Half-Earth Socialism) | 28 mai 2022 | 00:51:30 | |
In collaboration with utopian collective Trust, designer Son La Pham (he/him) and developer Francis Tseng (he/they) created Half Earth Socialism (2022), a browser game companion to Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass’s book of the same name. As part of the game’s launch, Son La and Francis joined me on the show to discuss how the collaboration began, the challenge of building a global planning simulator as a browser game, and the importance of going beyond raw calculations to allow players to become emotionally invested. You can play Half Earth Socialism for free and purchase the book from Verso. You can learn more about Son La Pham and Francis Tseng on their personal sites. Good Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 57: Fantasia Malware | 30 avr. 2022 | 00:57:23 | |
Fantasia Malware - comprised of Jira Trello (she/her), Chloê Langford (she/her), and Gabriel Helfenstein (he/him) - are an experimental game label specializing in mega-maximalist un-game performance art. They crowded into KRITIQAL’s digital podcast booth to discuss grotesque beauty, games as instruments, and creating art that can’t be wiki-fied. Later, they recommend birds. You can learn more about Fantasia Malware and subscribe to their mailing list on their website. Jira also hosts the podcast, New Genesis Online. Fantasia Malware’s cool things to share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 56: Dhruv Jani (Studio Oleomingus) | 26 mars 2022 | 01:02:10 | |
Studio Oleomingus is an art practice and game studio based Chala, India, whose work explores magical realism, post-colonial landscapes, and redacted authorship. Studio founder Dhruv Jani (he/him) joined me to talk through his unique history with modern videogames, his skepticism at the necessity of systemic interaction, and how employing fictitious external authors connects Oleomingus’ work to a larger history of post-independence Indian storytellers. You can learn more about Studio Oleomingus on their website, play their games for free on Steam or itch, and follow them on Twitter @studiooleomingu. Dhruv’s Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 55: Joel Jordon | 27 févr. 2022 | 00:56:35 | |
Joel Jordon (they/them) is the solo game developer of Time Bandit (2022), a real-time anti-capitalist work sim about how our subjective experience of time is shaped by our relationship to labor and historical forces. With Time Bandit’s first part releasing soon, Joel took some time to join me in talking through the game’s themes, how effective games can be as political instruments, and the hazy ethics of games-as-work. You can wishlist Time Bandit on Steam and play the free prologue on itch. Joel is on Twitter @pumbertop. Joel’s Encouraging Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 54: Karin Malady | 29 janv. 2022 | 00:53:16 | |
Karin Malady (any/all pronouns) is a writer, poet, and occultist interested in the relationship between art and audience. Recently, they’ve contributed writing to apocalyptic photography game, Dear Future (Dear Future Production Committee, 2021), and videogame flesh realm DEEP HEEL DOT COM. In this especially free wheeling episode, we talk about growing up on the internet, metafiction, being Tony Hawk, and provoking readers. You can find Karin on Twitter @SweetNAwful, and explore their many creative endeavors on their personal site. Karin’s Cool People to Shoutout Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| 2021 Wrapped | 01 janv. 2022 | 00:44:07 | |
Somehow, we’re at the end of 2021. It has been a strange, unpleasant, unpredictable year, but you know as much already. I won’t belabor the point as if we haven’t all been living with the same uncertainty, but I do want to say thank you for listening/reading/being part of KRITIQAL. The community that has grown around the site, the contributors I’ve been able to commission, and the friend’s I’ve made along the way have been so hugely important to me not spiraling off into the void. It is perhaps the smallest bit of hope to cling to, but I cling to it either way. Please enjoy this compilation of the moments that meant something to this year’s guests. They are varied and surprising, and I am so glad to be able to share them with you. Happy holidays! Featuring Taylor McCue | Colin (melessthanthree) | Nem (Sandy Pug Games) | Nilson Carroll | Kat (Pixel A Day) | Nathan Blades | Kevin Wong | Shane Yach | Jeff Chiao | Yaffle (lowpolis) | Jeremy Couillard Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 53: Breogán Hackett | 06 nov. 2021 | 00:58:09 | |
Breogán Hackett (she/they) is an indie dev, community organizer, and creator of low-res horror anthology, The Haunted PS1. She set aside some time from Halloween spooks to talk about how The Haunted PS1 got started, moving beyond the Playstation, and forcing players to get lost. A likely contender for most games mentioned in an episode, and all good ones at that (a hearty recommendation for Bleakshore if you’ve yet to play it). You can find Breogán’s many, many games on itch and follow them on Twitter @BreoganHackett. You can learn more about The Haunted PS1 on Twitter @HauntedPs1. Breogán’s Cool Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 52: Xalavier Nelson Jr. | 23 oct. 2021 | 01:07:26 | |
Xalavier Nelson Jr. (he/him) is a prolific videogame writer, producer, and internet poster, working on everything from An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs (Strange Scaffold, 2021) to Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator (Strange Scaffold, upcoming). He took some time away from creating every videogame to walk through how he moved from games criticism to development, the challenge and necessity of figuring out what you enjoy creating, and the existential dark comedy of a drunk puppy. You can follow Nelson on Twitter @WritNelson, and find a sample of his games on itch. Xalavier’s Good Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 51: Heather Flowers | 09 oct. 2021 | 00:42:55 | |
Heather Flowers (they/she) is the non-existent creator of EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER, a post-apocalyptic visual-novel beat-em-up about gay disasters meat mechs fighting facists. They didn’t join me on this episode to recap MEATPUNK’s origins as a spontaneous collection of sounds, adapting the series into tabletop form, and rejecting apocalyptic cynicism. I cannot stress this enough: Heather Flowers does not exist and therefore could not have been on this episode. If Heather Flowers did exist, you could follow her @HTHRFLWRS and play her games on itch. What Heather Flowers Good Thing Would Be, If They Existed Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 50: Naphtali Faulkner (Veselekov) | 25 sept. 2021 | 01:21:50 | |
Naphtali Faulkner (he/him), AKA Veselekov, is the creator of IGF Grand Prize winning photography game, Umurangi Generation (ORIGAME DIGITAL, 2020). In this extra long episode, Naphtali elaborates on origins of Umurangi, confronting liberal apathy, and the hunger people have for explicitly leftist art. Many detours into Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019) are made along the way. You can play Umurangi Generation on Steam and Switch, and follow Naphtali @Veselekov. Napthali’s Fun Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 49: Jeremy Couillard | 11 sept. 2021 | 00:58:43 | |
Jeremy Couillard (he/him) is an artist and professor, whose games JEF (2020) and Fuzz Dungeon (2021) explore the weird, uncomfortable, and inexplicable aspects of life through humor and alien surrealism. In this episode, Jeremy details how he started creating games out of a frustration with animation, the importance of loitering in digital spaces, and finding community in alt games. You can play Jeremy’s games on itch and Steam, and follow them @jeremycouillard. Jeremy’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 48: lowpolis (rayzones & yaffle) | 28 août 2021 | 00:47:02 | |
Rayzones (they/them) and Yaffle (she/they) make up indie studio lowpolis, creators of cute games with surreal insides. In this episode we explore the inspiration for lowpolis’ latest game, co-open (2021), discus the complex politics surrounding “wholesome games,” and appreciate the most fundamental videogame act: crawling through vents. Closing out the show, I once again confess my shame of having not played some very good games. You can follow lowpolis @lowpolis, @rayzones, and @Yafffle. Their games are available on itch. lowpolis’ Good Things to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 47: Ryan Rose Aceae | 14 août 2021 | 00:51:23 | |
Ryan Rose Aceae (he/they) is a visual novelist whose games explore the messy, sometimes monstrous dynamics of queer identity through surreal characters and earnest writing. In this episode he recounts his nontraditional route into making queer games, collaborating with Heather Flowers on GENDERWRECKED (2017), and the necessity of complex and challenging queer art. Finally, Ryan ends the show with a surprise package from a friend. You can play Ryan’s games on itch and follow them @gendervamp. Ryan’s Nice Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||
| Episode 46: Jeff Chiao | 31 juil. 2021 | 01:06:02 | |
Jeff Chiao (they/them) is an indie game producer, designer, and rhythm game enthusiast currently working on upcoming rhythm action title, UNBEATABLE (D-Cell Games). They took some time away from production to discuss UNBEATABLE’s long pre-production, the importance of embedding composers within the dev process, and the thriving indie rhythm game scene. Then Jeff closes the show with an enthusiastic recommendation for Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov, 2021). You can follow Jeff @comet_melting and play the demo for UNBEATABLE on Steam and itch. Jeff’s Inspiring Thing to Share Things Discussed Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi. | |||