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Explore every episode of the podcast Make the Game with Matt Hackett

Dive into the complete episode list for Make the Game with Matt Hackett. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–47 of 47

TitlePub. DateDuration
Godot and YouTube with Sean McKenzie (Bacon and Games)02 Oct 202401:27:06

🔗 Show Notes

What's the best thing you ever made?07 May 202400:20:08

https://www.valadria.com/the-best-thing-you-ever-made/


0:00 Intro

0:23 What's the best thing you ever made?

3:28 You didn't miss the boat

5:11 Three hours is all you need

9:48 Breaking down hard problems

19:37 Outro


📙 https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Video-Game-Yourself/dp/1736576208/


#gamedev #creative #podcast

Make the Game with Geoff Blair17 Oct 202300:54:17

https://www.valadria.com/make-the-game-geoff-blair/

Main Project Syndrome with Ben Anderson (HeartBeast)26 Sep 202300:47:27

4 main topics in this fun chat with Heart Beast (Ben Anderson):


📙 Ben's solo developer book Production Point

🛠 When to pivot projects?

🚒 GameMaker VS Godot

🎮 Ben's new game WASarD


BOOKS!

🛠 Ben's book Production Point: https://courses.heartgamedev.com/p/my-downloadable-87616

📙 Matt's book How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Video-Game-Yourself/dp/1736576208/


GAMES!

🪄 Ben's game WASarD: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1151870/WASarD/

🐷 Matt's game Pixel Washer: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2572060/Pixel_Washer/


🎬 TIMELINE

0:00 Intro

1:27 Main Project Syndrome

5:01 Production Point

15:17 WASarD

27:32 Do people like it?

33:20 When to quit

35:49 GameMaker VS Godot

46:28 Outro


More info: https://www.valadria.com/heartbeast-main-project-syndrome/

The Unity Debacle19 Sep 202300:20:13

Unity, owning your tools, JS GameDev Summit, Pixel Washer, & Game music: https://valadria.com/the-unity-debacle/


📝 Show Notes

🎧 Music

Ignore the Great Attractors15 Aug 202300:28:55

Time for another game dev podcast! 🎙

You've been so kind & encouraging about last week's episode that I just had to keep talking. Let's do this. We're discussing:

  1. On loving & hating marketing
  2. Ignore the "Great Attractors"
  3. Failing to follow your own advice
  4. Your tools serving you VS getting in your way
  5. Thoughts on crowd-funding

🎸 Music

🫧 Play the Pixel Washer demo!

Notice me burying the lead much? Yeah, I've got a new playable demo for you!

Have a relaxing time power washing beautiful pixels in Pixel Washer!

That's the pitch! It's just gorgeous 2D pixels that you need to clean. That's it. Some of you may remember Weekend game jam: Pixel Washer – yup, this is further development of that concept!

It's early times. I'll probably completely redo how the power washing itself works, which is all the game is about, but do play the demo & let me know what you think in the Valadria Discord.

Getting back to my roots08 Aug 202300:51:09

It's time for a podcast-style podcast (if that makes sense). A long conversation that rambles & goes off on tangents, but delivers an honest deep dive into my process & what I'm working on.


Topics

  1. 🛠 What I'm working on
  2. 🎮 Refocusing on game development
  3. 🧪 Concept development
  4. 😀 I hate marketing (jk, let me explain)
  5. 🪑 Being authentic online
  6. 💰 (Bonus: Making Big Indie Games)


Music


More info

https://www.valadria.com/getting-back-to-my-roots/

Making great game trailers with Derek Lieu01 Aug 202300:53:22

https://www.valadria.com/game-trailers-with-derek-lieu/


Does anybody read the text that I type into this box? I have no idea.

Anyway here's a timecode dump from my notes, maybe this is helpful:

  • 0:16: getting into game trailers
  • 4:40: overflow work
  • 5:15: charging not enough, less agency / more indie
  • 5:15: undercharging
  • 8:00: make fan trailers
  • 11:00: where to post trailers / content
  • 13:08: give advice about what you're doing
  • 16:00: trailer categories
  • 17:50 types of game trailers
  • 20:42: trailer lengths
  • 21:40: What gameplay to show?
  • 24:56: Movie trailers
  • 28:28: The magic of good editing
  • 29:50: Kuleshov effect
  • 31:03: Advanced game trailer problems
  • 32:35: End slates
  • 33:01: Logo Soup
  • 33:33: Logos and branding
  • 37:29: Spelunky 2
  • 45:35: Game trailer courses
  • 48:32: Anything identifiable from your game
  • 49:56: Ice Cream Analogy
  • 50:59: Outro

Thanks for listening! Support this show by sharing, rating/writing review(s), and buying my book. I appreciate it.

-Matt

Witchmore devlog: Introduction27 Jun 202300:11:32

🦇 Add Witchmore to your Steam witchlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2289580/Witchmore/ 📙 Read more: https://www.valadria.com/witchmore-devlog-intro/ TIMELINE 0:00 Intro 1:15 Why Witchmore? 2:47 Eggspansion 5:37 Scratch your itches 7:58 What's cool about it? 10:59 What's next? MUSIC * Electro Breaks Loop Remastered: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=749&genre=Electro * Phantom Anthem Wubs: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=879&genre=Dubstep

Steam Game Marketing GOLD with Chris Zukowski21 May 202300:45:27

Learn Steam game marketing from expert Chris Zukowski! Find resources & more: https://www.valadria.com/steam-game-marketing-with-chris-zukowski/


0:00 Intro 0:15 Critical Steam dev marketing advice 1:51 Reliable Steam dev strategies 3:38 Translating your page 6:28 Interest-first dev 9:48 Outro

Fruit Ninja designer Luke Muscat talks going solo dev25 Apr 202300:50:37

Join me on today's Make the Game as we talk going solo with Luke Muscat, designer of mobile hits Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride.

Luke's fascinating journey through games includes going from leadership roles to learning programming & art. Particularly fascinating to me is Luke's usage of YouTube to prove prototypes before committing fully to a concept.


Join 10,000+ subscribers on Luke's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lukemuscat


More episode links and resources right here: https://www.valadria.com/solo-dev-luke-muscat/

Pro tips from 2 indie game devs with Thomas Stewart28 Mar 202300:24:11

Come hang out with me and  @ThomasStewartDev  on today's Make the Game! We're talking about indie game dev, video creation, and how to balance these complicated things. 0:00 Intro 1:16 Game dev book 4:08 Monetized GOT 5:36 Consumer VS creator 7:24 YouTube tips 8:44 Delivering on promises 11:15 Game dev tiers 14:21 Work/life balance 18:50 Tanks, but No Tanks 21:57 Outro https://www.valadria.com/indie-game-dev-with-thomas-stewart/

How to do GDC29 Apr 202400:17:14

We're talking about:

  1. Preparing for GDC
  2. Getting a badge (or not)
  3. Lodging around GDC
  4. A tour of Moscone Center
  5. Navigating GDC parties
  6. General tips & advice


🔗 Show Notes

Thanks for listening! Please subscribe and rate this podcast 5 stars wherever you can. Good luck with your game 🛠️

How to make a good Steam page16 Mar 202300:07:57

How do you make a good Steam page?

0:00 Intro

0:20 Summary

0:28 Assets

2:46 Short description

4:00 Long description

5:04 Screenshots

5:34 Trailer

6:57 Resources

7:17 Outro

Notes, links, & attributions:

https://www.valadria.com/how-to-make-a-good-steam-page/

Pancakes & the secret to making good things01 Mar 202300:12:52

How making pancakes can make you a better game developer:

0:00 Intro

0:25 Topics

1:20 Pancakes as creative works

1:49 Why pancakes?

2:32 How I make pancakes

3:43 Iteration is key

4:31 A tight feedback loop

6:29 Making a pancake machine

7:07 Ready to automate?

8:45 Handmade VS procedural

11:08 Outro 

https://www.valadria.com/pancakes-equal-excellence/

From monster horde to charcuterie board15 Feb 202300:10:39

https://www.valadria.com/from-monster-horde-to-charcuterie-board/

Designing a great player experience with Coraly Rosario31 Jan 202301:06:24

https://www.valadria.com/ux-design-with-coraly-rosario/

Game launch success: treat your release like hosting a holiday feast18 Jan 202300:14:36

https://www.valadria.com/game-launch-feast/

Witchmore direction discussion: let's go to (bullet) hell03 Jan 202300:16:25

https://www.valadria.com/witchmore-direction-discussion/

How to feel GOOD about your unfinished games20 Dec 202200:06:34

https://www.valadria.com/feel-good-about-your-unfinished-games/

The appeal of making an auto shoot 'em up game like Vampire Survivors23 Nov 202200:14:01

https://www.valadria.com/appeal-of-vampire-survivors/

How to handle the DEATH of a platform?03 Nov 202200:09:42

https://www.valadria.com/death-of-a-platform/

Scratch your itch with ChuyPlays12 Oct 202200:58:34

https://www.valadria.com/scratch-your-itch-with-chuyplays/

Don't Stop Posting09 Apr 202400:59:31

We cover a lot in this episode! Look at all these links:

Coming soon: a GDC postmortem, pitch decks, and publishers. Thanks for listening!

Making Airships: Conquer the Skies with David Stark20 Sep 202200:50:24

https://www.valadria.com/making-airships-with-david/

My next game is called Witchmore06 Sep 202200:10:33

https://www.valadria.com/my-next-game-is-called-witchmore/

Making your first game with ChuyPlays30 Aug 202200:53:09

https://www.valadria.com/making-your-first-game-with-chuyplays/

Making Midautumn with Sherveen Uduwana16 Aug 202200:44:49

https://www.valadria.com/making-midautumn-with-sherveen/

All about Making Big Indie Games02 Aug 202200:19:44

Let's make big games!

I just launched an advanced guide for indie game developers who are ready for the next level.

Let's talk all about it.

Show notes

From Quake mods to game director with Jon Hackett (part 2)19 Jul 202200:29:25

Thanks for listening! Show notes at valadria.com

From Quake mods to game director with Jon Hackett12 Jul 202200:32:01

https://www.valadria.com/make-the-game-with-jon-hackett

Make the Game: How limitations set you free21 Jun 202200:29:08

How development limitations like palettes and strict architecture help you make decisions faster!

Show notes:

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaUdstkv1RE

* https://store.steampowered.com/app/1258220/Song_of_Iron/

* https://discord.gg/9mmt67HaTA

* https://junkfort.itch.io/plane-puncher

* http://www.indiegamesim.com/

* https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/

* https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs...

* 🦊 https://freepd.com/

Make the Game: 5 ways to take your creative side seriously right now02 Jun 202200:30:00

Want to level up your creative self? These 5 things helped me become an artist and make video games by myself. (Technically there's 6 but 1 of them is a secret sssshhh let's be silent like the snake.)

READ: https://www.valadria.com/5-ways-to-take-your-creative-side-seriously-right-now/

LISTEN: https://www.valadria.com/make-the-game/

BOOK: https://www.valadria.com/how-to-make-a-video-game-all-by-yourself/

FREE CODE + ASSETS: https://www.valadria.com/game-dev-medkit/

Make the Game: Unlock your game's hidden potential with a saturation analysis10 May 202200:24:04

Let's talk about a saturation analysis, which is a tool you can use on your game design to see what all it can do.

Examining the game of chess, what all is it capable of? There's an 8x8 board, pieces can be moved, removed, or modified, but what else? How would you get ideas if you were working on chess but with a new twist? This tool shines a light on where your design could go.

See also Into the Breach by Subset Games, which is a brilliant and innovative design.

You were played out by Monster Stomp from TeknoAXE: http://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=1784

No Stacking19 Mar 202400:37:02

More info: https://www.valadria.com/no-stacking/ 🔗 LINKS Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Video-Game-Yourself/dp/1736576208/ Coaching: https://www.valadria.com/game-dev-coaching-consulting/ 🎬 TIMELINE 0:00 Intro 1:05 GDC 2024 7:27 No Stacking 25:21 Goals 34:51 Outro 🎹 MUSIC Electro Breaks Loop: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=749 Phantom Anthem Wubs: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=879 Interstellar Winnebago: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=1050 Joshua Morse: https://joshuamorse.bandcamp.com/ #gamedev #indiedev #podcast #gdc

Make the Game: Building a career's worth of games industry knowledge02 May 202200:24:58

Welcome to the first episode of Make the Game! We're going to make video games together and it's gonna be a blast.

I'm Matt Hackett and for this first episode let's start with a ton of great places online to gear up your games industry knowledge. Heard of Gamedeveloper.com, Game Maker's Toolkit, Sequelitis? If not you are in for a TREAT and if so let's talk about how great they are and give you even more resources to explore. A fountain of knowledge awaits you.

Show Notes

Get free game dev assets and source code by signing up for the Valadria newsletter. To make a game by yourself, read my book How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself.

Seeing Things in Steam Next Fest05 Mar 202400:57:35

Links galore: https://www.valadria.com/seeing-things-steam-next-fest-greg-love/


🎬 TIMELINE

0:00 Intro

4:14 Story Machine

11:50 Seeing Things

19:26 Steam Next Fest

36:30 Live streams

42:20 What's next?

45:59 Release after SNF?

49:39 Multiple demos

55:19 Outro


📙 SOLO DEV BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Video-Game-Yourself/dp/1736576208/


#gamedev #steam #podcast

The Money Episode25 Jan 202400:54:50

Links & more: https://www.valadria.com/the-money-episode/


🎬 Timeline

0:00 Intro

1:36 User Interface (UI)

10:32 Configurable input

21:10 Climbing the wall

26:40 A "game shell"

37:48 The Money Part

43:02 Kickstarter(s)

50:35 Coaching

53:06 Outro

My 2-year indie postmortem09 Jan 202400:15:52

Article: https://www.valadria.com/my-2-year-indie-postmortem/


🎹 Music

https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=879

https://stevenmelin.itch.io/lo-fi-atmospheres-music-pack

https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=1601

Gamedev Bosses & Coping with Solodev28 Nov 202300:20:19

Show Notes

  1. The Early Days of id Software
  2. How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself
  3. 🐷 Pixel Washer (Steam page)
  4. Silver, a font for games by Poppy Works
  5. Jeremy Jackson
  6. Performative Game Development: The Design and Marketing of Nuclear Throne


Music

  1. Frozen Karma
  2. SuloSounds
  3. Phantom Anthem Wubs
  4. I Am a Monster Sans Vocals
Pixel Washer devlog: introduction24 Oct 202300:09:30


Pixel Washer: http://www.pixelwasher.com/ 0:00 Intro 0:17 What's Pixel Washer? 1:44 Why's Pixel Washer? 5:22 What's cool about it? 7:11 State of the game 8:57 Outro #gamedev #devlog #solodev


Playtests, Prototypes, and Permission Games13 Nov 202400:54:10

https://www.valadria.com/playtests-prototypes-permission-games/


Show Notes

Thanks for listening. Now it's time for you to go make the game!

Webbiness and Refactoring08 Jan 202500:49:57

See valadria.com for more info!


📋 Show Notes

Marketing and PR with Robby Bisschop of PiratePR09 Apr 202501:27:37

Article: https://www.valadria.com/robby-bisschop-piratepr/


🎬 TIMELINE

0:00 Intro

0:13 Marketing and PR

35:37 How to get wishlists

49:32 How long to market a game?

59:17 Marketing beats

1:07:05 Keyscammers

1:25:40 Outro


🏴‍☠️ Hire Robby: https://piratepr.com/

📙 Buy my book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Video-Game-Yourself/dp/1736576208/

🐷 Washlist Pixel Washer: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2572060/Pixel_Washer/


#gamedev #marketing #podcast

🛠️ How to get BACK into game development07 May 202501:40:35

Links and more: https://www.valadria.com/how-to-get-back-into-game-development/

🎙️ Sprint Planning, Complexity, and Marketing23 Jul 202500:40:58

Links and more: https://www.valadria.com/sprint-planning-complexity-and-marketing/


🎬 Time Codes

0:00 Intro

0:23 Work schedules / time tracking / sprint planning

4:28 Game architecture complexity

8:50 Splitting time on indie game development / other stuff

14:09 Marketing / promotion

21:08 A challenge for you

23:40 Ramble on

34:06 Promoting games on social media

37:20 Outro

Acclaim, Side Projects, and Content Marketing17 Dec 202500:41:19

🔗 Show Notes

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