Explore every episode of the podcast Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice Thinking: "Who That Pocket Monster?" | 09 Jul 2026 | ||
In this week's episode, the Nice Hosts want to make this year's IDGATC summer picnic the very best, like no picnic ever was. Lydia brings to the table a game that relies on knowing nothing about Pokémon, Mark accuses her of knowing too much about Pokémon, and Stephen does his best as their acting Person-Who-Knows-Pokémon (nicegames.club/feedback). Will they make a game in time to play that weekend? Stay tuned as the journey continues.
Electronic device (laptop or phone) Random Pokémon Generator (we use randompokemonpicker.com) Grid of possible Pokémon pictures and names SetupDivide into two teams of at least 3 people. The two Team Captains stand in front facing both teams. Distribute the list of the possible Pokémon to the players, either physically or digitally. Team Captains pull up the random generator on their device. If you'd like to play at home, here is the graphic Lydia made for the IDGATC picnic, complete with rules and round order: https://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-07/Who%20That%20Pocket%20Monster%20-%20June%202026%20v1.1.pngRules
Round Order:
Repeat steps 1-4 until a Team guesses the Pokémon correctly. If the rounds are dragging on, the Team Captains may reveal the Pokémon and take a point (bragging rights) for themselves | |||
| "That’s basically numbers." Discussing Scope; Inspiration Though Research | 02 Jul 2026 | ||
In addition to the topics of this episode, we also revisit Lydia's bachelorette party game made in a previous episode! Listen to find out how it went, as well as the fascinating conversations your hosts talk through.
| |||
| The Job Market (with Amir Satvat) | 25 Jun 2026 | ||
This week's guest has good advice, harsh truths, hard numbers, and a big smile. Amir Satvat, tireless advocate and resource-provider for game developers looking for work via his organization ASGC (Always Supporting the Games Community), enters the clubhouse to help your nice hosts wrap their minds around a difficult job market. The Job MarketIRLAlways Supporting the Games Community homepageASGC Discord serverAmir Satvat - LinkedInGame Industry Coffee Chat Discord server | |||
| Nice Thinking: "Bachelorette Weekend Dinner Quest" | 18 Jun 2026 | ||
In this episode Lydia discusses how best to make all her friends hangry by making them do puzzles before releasing food. By which I mean, she got Stephen and Mark to do her work for her. So, if you were part of the weekend of puzzles and quests that Lydia was preparing for, please tell us how Stephen and Mark did, at nicegames.club/feedback. Puzzeling the BachelorettesRebus Rebus generatorfestisiteRebus generatorEduPicsPuzzle completion https://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-06/Math.png | |||
| Vehicle Design (with Kris Roberts) | 11 Jun 2026 | ||
Seatbelts, everyone! This week the Nice Hosts talk vehicles, which apparently means more than just cars. That's good news because none of them know much about cars (hopefully Nice Guest and vehicle specialist, Kris Roberts doesn't notice). So pile on in and buckle up: we're going to talk about the challenges of capturing the feel of a vehicle with video game inputs, what a solid vehicle system needs at a minimum, and the hobbyist racing scene. Vehicle DesignGame DesignProductionProgramminghttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-06/435%20Kris%20Car%201.pngKris shared a couple photos of his sports car with us.https://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-06/435%20Kris%20Car%202.pngHis car, at another angle.Kris Roberts's Website - Kris RobertsSim Racing Streamers | |||
| "I need less squidgy." Part-time Work; Hint | 04 Jun 2026 | ||
After the supersized meta of this episode, your nice hosts discover (or rediscover in some cases) the joy of part-time work, and contemplate the intricacies of hints for games.
| |||
| Dark Patterns (with Sam Liberty) | 28 May 2026 | ||
Your nice hosts have talked a lot over the years about exploitative game design, and this week we brought in an expert on gamification to lay out some of the dark patterns in games that take players' money and time via deceptive framing and UX. Dark PatternsGame DesignWhy “Addictive” Gameplay Should Never Be The Goal - Lydia Symchych, ELB LearningHEXAD FrameworkAddiction by Design - Natasha Dow SchüllTiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything - BJ FoggHow to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be - Katy MilkmanHow dating apps weaponized loneliness against their users - Sam Liberty | |||
| Working with Voice Actors (with Yuri Lowenthal) | 21 May 2026 | ||
In this episode, Yuri Lowenthal, prolific actor and Insomniac's Spider-Man, web-crawls into the clubhouse and does whatever a spider can, assuming a spider can talk into a microphone about the art of acting in video games. Mark explores the difference between screen acting and voice acting, Lydia takes comfort in the fact that when you have a team supporting you, you’re not going to mess it up on your own, and Stephen learns that snipping an Achilles tendon is a finishing move. Working with Voice Actors AudioYuri Lowenthal on BlueskyYuri Lowenthal on Instagram - Instagram | |||
| Interactive Fiction Communities (with Andrew Plotkin) | 14 May 2026 | ||
Warm weather is on the way and you need to stay hydrated. As a start, take a sip of water every time you hear the phrase "in the 90's." This week we're learning about Interactive Fiction - its history, communities, and transformations over the years - from living archive of the medium, Andrew Plotkin. As a bonus, Stephen discovers that he isn't the only one who is wrong about things! Credit for this episode's extra-thorough show notes goes to Andrew. Thanks, Andrew! Interactive Fiction CommunitiesEventsIRLNarrativeColossal Cave Adventure - William Crowther and Donald Woods, The Interactive Fiction DatabaseThe Visible Zorker: Zork 1Interactive Fiction Competition (ongoing since 1995!) - Interactive Fiction CompetitionInform IF language launched around 1993 (https://www.inform-fiction.org/). You can find the modern version at https://inform7.com/ This allowed people to create games for Infocom’s original Z-machine, which was invented as a proprietary system in 1979 but is now open-source.The modern version of the IF community's FTP site - Interactive Fiction ArchiveInteractive Fiction Technology FoundationNarrascope ConferenceTwine - Chris Klimas, TwineryRise of the Video Game Zinesters - Anna Anthropy, AmazonThe Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman) - Elizabeth Sandifer, Eruditorum PressAndrew's Interactive Fiction and Game recommendations - IFcomp 2025 winners - Type Help - Roottrees are dead - Return of the Obra Dinn - Murder at the Birch Tree Theater | |||
| "Look who's old now!" Exhibiting Your Game; Design Investigations | 07 May 2026 | ||
We talk of the old and the new in this episode, where we sort of revisit a long ago discussed topic and bring in a new topic for our (and your) perusal.
| |||
| Healthy Criticism (with August Brown) | 30 Apr 2026 | ||
We welcome August Brown back into the clubhouse once more to discuss healthy criticism in the workplace, and how to foster that environment in your spaces. Healthy CriticismProductionHotel Infinity - Studio ChyrNo Hard Feelings - Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy, Portfolio | |||
| "He's scientific methoding you." Characterization Through Mechanics; Tutorials vs. Instructions | 23 Apr 2026 | ||
How is it April? The episodes have been so long lately it feels like it should be more than two months since the hiatus ended. As a countermeasure, the Nice Hosts have another set of roundtable topics to break up your week and retune the time dilation. Stephen tries hard not to talk about fighting games, Lydia ponders the nature of instructions, and everyone talks a lot more about Mario than they thought they would. 0:01:41Characterization Through MechanicsWe talked about characterization in Smash on a previous episode."I’m intrigued by big door."Lewis ChessmenWikipedia0:29:24Tutorials vs. Instructionshttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-04/DetectiveTutorial.pngThe "tutorial" Lydia encountered at work that inspired this topic. | |||
| "That's fixin’ to get ready." 3D Lighting; Menus vs Parkour | 16 Apr 2026 | ||
All of your regular hosts finally make it into the clubhouse again to present to you a roundtable! After a fairly lengthy meta (it's been a long time y'all, but all interesting stuff!), we expose elements of 3D lighting and discuss an internet meme that's maybe relevant for game development.
| |||
| GDC 2026 Special (Part 2) | 09 Apr 2026 | ||
WARNING: This episode is even longer than last week's! Settle into the back half of GDC 2026 with tales from your nice hosts about interesting talks, the "new" Festival Hall, what it feels like to be up for multiple major industry awards, running into people you know for the first time, and flying home to a impending snowstorm.
| |||
| GDC 2026 Special (Part 1) | 02 Apr 2026 | ||
This year's GDC Special is a big one. So big that this episode is over 2 hours long... and it's only part 1 (but your nice hosts don't know that yet)! 0:15:49GDC 2026 - Monday GDC Encounters: Speed Networking Day 1Game Developer ConferenceThe Tension: Designing for Discomfort in 'Wanderstop'Steven MargolinGame Developer ConferenceThe Black Designers' Dilemma"Carl Varnado, Jabari Ali, Jarory DeJesus, Evan Narcisse"Game Developer ConferenceThe Games Industry Social (aka: GIG IRL)Media Indie Exchange (aka: The MIX)DogpileToot GamesGame Funding: Lessons from Outersloth"Victoria Tran, Forest Willard"Game Developer ConferenceOutersloth reveals its game funding agreement with developersAlex Forbes-CalvinGamesIndustry.bizFrom Beautiful to Playable: Texture Compression Secrets Every Game Artist Shoul…Jad DeebGame Developer ConferenceFour Artists Use Substance 3D to Texture 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'"Alan Reynaud, Mathieu Costat"Game Developer ConferenceGDC 101"Sam Warnke, Natalie Sam"Game Developer ConferenceFrom Reliable to Respected: Breaking Free of the Good Job TrapCecile HemeryGame Developer ConferenceEstablishing the Standards and Practices of Game Preservation"Garrett Fredley, Andrew Borman"Game Developer ConferenceFresh Grad to Art Director: My Journey at 'Love and Deepspace'Xianzi FengGame Developer ConferenceCutscene Pipeline in 'Love and Deepspace'"Xianyu Wang, Ji Zhang"Game Developer Conference1:06:09GDC 2026 - TuesdayGame Education Roundtable Day 1Game Developer ConferencePraise the Architect and Pass the Ammunition: Health & Damage in 'The Outer Wor…Game Developer Conference'Civilization VII': Impactful UI Sound Design at ScaleKadet KuhneGame Developer ConferenceWhy We Still Believe: A Conversation with Amir SatvatAmir SatvatGame Developer ConferenceAlways Supporting (the) Games CommunityAmir Satvat3rd Annual Game Developer's ConcertAustin WintoryGame Developer ConferenceTechnical Artists Roundtable (20th Year)!!! Day 1Jeff HannaGame Developer ConferenceThe Modular and Expressive World Art of 'Keeper'Nick MaksimGame Developer ConferenceLocal Game Community Organizers ForumMarlena Abraham, Michael Lee, Daniel Lin, Laia BeeGame Developer ConferenceTiny ConSociety of PlayBlack in GamingSo Your Game Got Cancelled: Navigating Personal Development and Career OutcomesMark LaCroixGame Developer ConferenceSince we recorded this episode, a major South Korean gaming website wrote up a very detailed recap of Mark's roundtable. [English Machine Translation] MAR10 Day returns with festivities for fans of all ages in honor of the Super M…NintendoWhy Good Games Fail: The Startup Audit Every Studio NeedsLucien ParsonsGame Developer Conference'despelote': Capturing the Feeling of 2001 Quito, EcuadorJulian CorderoGame Developer Conference | |||
| "First Person Schlorper" Cozy Games; Fast Travel | 26 Mar 2026 | ||
In this Episode, Ian once again joins the clubhouse as Dale and Mark are off on a nerdy vacation. Lydia wrestles with the term "cozy," and Stephen does some self exploration to determine why so-called cozy games make him more stressed out. Then, he creates a whole topic just to talk about the fast travel system in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
| |||
| Nice Games Jam: "Evil Games Jam 2: Cat Comms" | 19 Mar 2026 | ||
Watch out, Clubhouse! Evil Games Club is out of the air vents and back in orbit to interrupt your regularly scheduled Nice Programming. Five years in the vacuum of space haven't dulled their ne're-do-well nature one bit. In fact, they just intercepted a game jam prompt from one of the Nice Hosts. Will Dale, Ian, and Sam prove once and for all that Evil trumps Nice? Well, duh, of course they do! >:)
Notes:
| |||
| Tabletop Special | 12 Mar 2026 | ||
While Mark is off on a Star Trek cruise, the rest of your nice hosts invite Lydia's husband Ian Peters to discuss tabletop games, specifically RPGs! We've split this supersized episode and topic into three different acts for your listening pleasure. 0:01:58Holistic Connection of Theme and MechanicBlades in the DarkEvil Hat ProductionsGURPS: Generic Universal RolePlaying SystemSteve Jackson GamesThirsty Sword LesbiansEvil Hat ProductionsDialect: A Game About Language and How It DiesThorny Games0:33:41DiceCall of Cthulhu RPGChaosium Inc.Does a crit always mean success?MolaschiRedditDread the RPGThe Impossible DreamKids on BikesHunters Entertainment1:00:28FlexibilityLydia had talked about tabletop mechanics in her Untitled Memory Mechanic Nice Thinking episodeUntitled Memory MechanicCitizen SleeperJump Over The AgeSteam | |||
| "We need more train service in this country." What We Did On Our Winter Break (2025-26) | 05 Mar 2026 | ||
Your nice hosts had an eventful time off from new episodes, but now they're back! So yeah, this is a long one... What The Show Did on Winter Break (2025-26)Boot the Dispute - a thing that solves your problems!YouTubeArt & Fear Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of ArtmakingDavid Bayles and Ted OrlandLydia's WebsiteGlomNice Games ClubWhat Each of Us Did On Winter Break (2025-26)IDGATC Global Game Jam 2026Global Game Jamhttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2026-02/Henle%20May%2022%20and%2023%202022.jpgThe first recorded character exploration of Henle, Lydia's D&D character, written over a year before the campaign started.Lydia finally started acting on the feedback the Nice Hosts gave on the memory mechanic she developed for D&D 5eUntitled Memory MechanicWebinar | Whose Game Is It Anyway? Live Learning Game Design ImprovYouTubeJunction Jam interest formStar Trek: The CruiseBlippo+ The 50 best games of 2025PolygonThe 12 Best Video Games Of 2025KotakuThe best games of 2025AV ClubThe 25 Best Games Of 2025, RankedInverseThe Besties game of the year 2025 is...The BestiesBaby Steps leads 28th annual IGF Awards nominationsChris KerrGame DeveloperThe New York Game Awards 2026 Winners Have Been Revealed!Philip WatsonCGMagazine | |||
| Reinventing GDC (with Mark DeLoura) [Nice Replay] | 26 Feb 2026 | ||
#417Reinventing GDCInterview2025.11.27 After the discussion, DeLoura turned the tables on your nice hosts and asked a question of his own. It didn't fit into the episode, but we saved it and put it up as a Patreon exclusive bonus segment! Mark DeLoura's decades-long career in games includes roles ranging from Nintendo engineer to White House senior advisor. A longtime and passionate developer advocate, this year he's been tapped to help reinvent the industry's largest annual gathering, GDC. DeLoura outlines the changes coming to this year's conference, defines what "festival" means in the context of GDC, and previews the ambitious goals for its future. But your nice hosts also raise concerns about the elimination of the lowest-priced passes, the accessibility of new programming, and the critical issue of attendee safety now that more official GDC events serve alcohol. Whether you have or are planning to attend GDC, are one of its critics, or just want to know more about how the industry creates and manages its community, this episode is a must-listen. Your nice hosts will be at GDC 2026, March 9th - 13th, 2026 in San Francisco. Look for our annual GDC special episode(s) then.Mark DeLoura on BlueskyMark DeLoura on LinkedInHITLab - Human Interface Technology Lab - University of WashingtonGame Programming Gems - Mark DeLouraDr. Miguel Luengo-Oroz (MalariaSpot) - Online game & crowdsourcing & malaria - The International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases, YouTubeAbout FoldItVideo games owe a lot to President Obama's administration - Brian Crecente, PolygonMark DeLoura also co-hosts a podcast! His weekly gaming news/discussion show, Boss Rush, is available on YouTube! After the discussion, DeLoura turned the tables on your nice hosts and asked a few questions of his own. It didn't fit into the episode, but we saved it and put it up as a Patreon exclusive bonus segment! Reinventing GDCThe annual Game Developers Conference is changing - Michael McWhertor, PolygonCannes Lions International Festival of Creativity - WikipediaBlack Hat - Upcoming EventsGDC Passes & Pricing - Game Developer ConferenceSeattle Indies SLICECalling partners for GDC 2026! - Game DeveloperGames Industry GatheringFemale Game Devs Open Up About Harassment And Drink Spiking At GDC - Ahmad Hassan, RespawnFirstAmir Satvat's Games Jobs Resources | |||
| "I’m intrigued by big door." Emotional Effects of Music; A New Foe Has Appeared! [Nice Replay] | 19 Feb 2026 | ||
#393"I’m intrigued by big door."Roundtable2025.06.12 Mark rushes through the introduction to talk about his two rush projects, one of which, Blippo+, was announced on Sunday during the PC Gaming Show! You'll hear more about that next week, but until then, Lydia talks about feeling seen in Anime, Stephen laments that his filmmaking class has not only ruined movies for him, but also music, and Dale does a good job editing out Lydia’s coughs. Blippo+, coming to PC and Switch this fall!You Need To See FMV Cable TV Simulator Blippo+ - Wesley LeBlanc, Game InformerEmotional Effects of MusicStephen McGregorAudioA New Foe Has Appeared!Lydia SymchychMisc. | |||
| Nice Games Jam: "Dinosaurs of North Dakota" [Nice Replay] | 12 Feb 2026 | ||
#381Dinosaurs of North DakotaNice Games Jam2025.03.13 The clubhouse gets Cretaceous this week; your nice hosts have been challenged to create a game about dinosaurs and their feeding habits. PromptMake a game about the feeding habits of dinosaurs or of paleontologists, bonus points if all the dinosaurs are from the same era.Game typeDesign documentPlayer count1Rules
| |||
| Nice Thinking: "Fishing Minigame Collection" [Nice Replay] | 05 Feb 2026 | ||
#405Fishing Minigame CollectionNice Thinking2025.09.04 Stephen Business is back! And he’s attempting to make a meme into a reality. The clubhouse attempts to answer these (and other) questions:
Lydia's nice list of games with fishing minigames Tales of Arise Pokemon Animal Crossing Stardew ValleyLegend of Zelda (many) SkyrimKirby The Forgotten Land Verdant Skies Spiritfarer Red Dead Redemption 2 Final Fantasy (many) Sonic Frontiers Far Cry 5Hades | |||
| 3D Workflows for Indie Devs (with Freya Holmér) [Nice Replay] | 29 Jan 2026 | ||
#3963D Workflows for Indie DevsInterview2025.07.03 We welcome Freya Holmér back into the clubhouse to talk about 3D game development for independent game developers. We get into the specifics of the tools available for devs and why they work and don't work for different teams, but it's mostly an excuse to talk about Freya's new 3D modeling software. Half-Edge - Freya HolmérShapes - Freya Holmér, Unity Asset StoreShader Forge - Freya Holmér, GitHub3D Workflows for Indie DevsGame DesignToolsUI / UXValve Hammer Editor - Valve Developer CommunityPicoCAD - Johan Peitz, itch.ioTrenchBroom - GitHubCrocotile 3DWhat’s the difference between OBJ and FBX? And when to you what - Reddit | |||
| "The things that create the geometry." What Happened With Future Club; Design Surface Area [Nice Replay] | 22 Jan 2026 | ||
#391"The things that create the geometry."Roundtable2025.05.29 Your nice hosts all secured a Switch 2 pre-order... from a certain point of view. Then, Stephen examines the body, Mark attempts a vocabulary, and Lydia has recommendations. Chants of Sennaar - WikipediaNintendo Switch 2 preorders were a total mess — at first - Jay Peters, The VergeMissed out on a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order? GameStop and Best Buy will have mo… - Demi Williams, TechRadarWhat Happened With Future Club0:22:17Stephen McGregorIRLProductionPart-Time Hero Campaign Ending - Future Club, KickstarterDesign Surface Area0:48:57Mark LaCroixGame DesignRubber duck debugging - Wikipedia | |||
| Nice Games Jam: "Time Traveler Estate Sale" [Nice Replay] | 15 Jan 2026 | ||
#384Time Traveler Estate SaleNice Games Jam2025.04.10 Roles reverse as Dale joins Stephen and Lydia for a Nice Game Jam prompted by Mark. The results are an antiques-fueled jaunt through time, and an unexpected win for Stephen. Costcodle - Zak Kermitz, CostcodleTimeline Inventions - Zygomatic, ZygomaticHypodermic Needles - Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine, Maximum FunPrompt"Come up with a game where the winner is the player who gets (or gets closest to) a certain amount of points, but that amount changes from round to round. Hard mode variant: the players don’t always know what the amount is."Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count2-8MaterialsSet of item cards from various years 10 chips for each player Set of years/events Timer Setup
| |||
| Video Game IP Law (with Haley MacLeon) [Nice Replay] | 08 Jan 2026 | ||
#388Video Game IP LawInterview2025.05.08 Your nice hosts get a crash course on video game IP law from lawyer and MinnMax cohort, Haley MacLeon. We learn about incorporating, publishing agreements, the difference between a lot of commonly used terms like "copyright", and the joys of contract templates. MinnMax - MinnMaxGame Informer Revival - Game InformerVideo Game IP LawMarketingMisc.ProductionThe $10 Million Lawsuit That Hinges On An Oxford Comma - Anna King, NPRVideo Game Publishing Agreement Market Report 2025 - Kellen Voyer & Haley MacLean, Voyer Law Corporation | |||
| "Half trash compactor, half empty." Composting; Overdesigning [Nice Replay] | 01 Jan 2026 | ||
#399"Half trash compactor, half empty."Roundtable2025.07.24 Ellen's back for a serendipitously in-sync pair of metacognition-rich roundtable topics. In this episode, Lydia shares a chapter from one of her favorite books and tries to explain ganache while Stephen laments how easy it is to duct tape on features instead of solving problems. Together they discover four brains are better than one when it comes to figuring out how to get out of your head. Composting0:09:56Lydia SymchychMisc.Writing Down the Bones - Natalie Goldberghttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2025-07/Composting1.pnghttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2025-07/Composting2.pngBonbon - Wikipediahttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2025-07/croissantexpressMinneapolis.jpgThe Croissant Express diner mentioned in the book, formerly located on the corner of the Uptown Theater building.Overdesigning0:36:00Stephen McGregorGame DesignMuralMirohttps://nicegames.club/sites/default/files/2025-07/NyctographLewisCarol.pngvia. "Writing at Night: Lewis Carroll, John Milton, and Me" by Mike Mason. https://www.mikemasonbooks.com/writing-at-night-lewis-carroll-john-milton-and-me/ | |||
| Digital Escape Rooms (with Lydia Symchych) [Nice Replay] | 25 Dec 2025 | ||
#375Digital Escape RoomsInterview2024.11.28 All of your hosts are together in the Clubhouse for a special interview! Lydia Symchych is an impact game designer who has been working with Ellen over the last year. Today, she shares her experience of making an escape room that needed to be rendered in both "physical" and and digital environments. Also, sound effects and pillows. In the USA, November 28th is Thanksgiving Day, and November 29th is National Native American Heritage Day. Happy holidays, if you're in the USA—and if you're not, we hope you have something to be thankful for. 💖 Digital Escape RoomsGame DesignArticulate Storyline 360HyperCard - WikipediaExhibit Design - WikipediaEscape Room Races with the Lads - Northernlion, YouTubeEscaping a Room of Terrors - GameGrumps, YouTube | |||
| Nicest of 2025 | 18 Dec 2025 | ||
In this end-of-year tradition, your nice hosts talk about the games they played and the things that they accomplished in 2025, as well as the games they're excited to play and the things they hope to do in 2026. Stephen and Mark both had an up and down year and both picked predictable nicests (if you know anything about them), while Lydia realizes that she missed the show's orientation day. 0:03:002025 AccomplishmentsMark Blippo+Nice Games AllianceGDC 2026 Speakers - Mark LaCroixStephen Stephen successfully helped run an unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign, which he detailed in:"The things that create the geometry."Melanated Game KitchenLydia Lydia joined the podcast this year! Her first episode as a permanent host was in the ironically titled"More Ellen in the future." What We Did On Our Winter Break (2024-25)Lydia went from a contractor to a full-time employee!0:18:002025 "Nicest" GamesLydia Word PlayGame Maker's ToolkitSteamMy SimsWikipediaAge of Mythology: RetoldWikipedia(Honorable Mention) PeakWikipedia(Honorable Mention) Axolotl with a GunBright Bard Gamesitch.ioMark Mario Kart WorldNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour(Honorable Mention) Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2Stephen Kirby Air Riders Blue Prince(Honorable Mention) Root (Honorable Mention) 2XKO0:36:402026 Most Anticipated GamesLydia Slay The Spire 2Steam(hopeful) Tales of the Abyss RemakeWikipedia(hopeful) Persona 6RedditMark Big WalkWikipediaSuper Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park …NintendoMark is hopeful, but not expecting, that Super Mario Galaxy 3 might be announced for Super Mario Bros.' 40th anniversary.Stephen Stephen is always wishing for another Kirby gameNioh 30:47:222026 ResolutionsHear more on last year's resolutions in:Nicest of 2024Stephen
Mark
Lydia
| |||
| “Well, what do you art?” Lydia is an Artist; Platforms and Ecosystems | 11 Dec 2025 | ||
Part 3 of what your nice hosts are calling "Giving Lydia Therapy," we get into Lydia's thoughts on calling herself an artist and what it may mean to think of yourself in this way.
| |||
| "Argue with me, I guess." Interactivity vs. Play; Fail States in Art | 04 Dec 2025 | ||
Lots of thinking about thinking in this episode as the Nice Hosts attempt to define some core concepts to gameplay. What even is a game? Interactivity? Play? A failstate?! Buckle in for an intellectual conversation, and remember to go to nicegames.com/feedback to tell Stephen exactly why he's wrong about any of it.
| |||
| Reinventing GDC (with Mark DeLoura) | 27 Nov 2025 | ||
Mark DeLoura's decades-long career in games includes roles ranging from Nintendo engineer to White House senior advisor. A longtime and passionate developer advocate, this year he's been tapped to help reinvent the industry's largest annual gathering, GDC. DeLoura outlines the changes coming to this year's conference, defines what "festival" means in the context of GDC, and previews the ambitious goals for its future. But your nice hosts also raise concerns about the elimination of the lowest-priced passes, the accessibility of new programming, and the critical issue of attendee safety now that more official GDC events serve alcohol. Whether you have or are planning to attend GDC, are one of its critics, or just want to know more about how the industry creates and manages its community, this episode is a must-listen.
| |||
| "I saw a Beatle." Being Honest With Your Work; The Critical Eye | 20 Nov 2025 | ||
This week the clubhouse is filled with emotions. Lydia was frustrated that she did not recapture the magic of her first escape room game, Stephen was frustrated that finding his critical eye makes for a different movie watching experience, and Mark was frustrated by the acoustics at a football stadium. In other news, it's time to make your GDC Plans! Mark and Dale will be there, and probably some other nice hosts, too.
CHEST Conference CHEST Medicine ConferenceEosinophilic and Noneosinophilic AsthmaCHEST Journal Podcast(Yes, Dale included that last link because its host is named Dr. Pepper.)Escape room games Lydia's first apperance on the show was as a guest to discuss last year's project, inDigital Escape RoomsLater on as a host, Lydia talked a little about this year's project, which was upcoming at the time, in"It's about trust."0:56:30The Critical EyeStephen has previously talked about his filmmaking class in: Episode 367"Numbers go up."Episode 393"I’m intrigued by big door." | |||
| Nice Games Jam: "Grog" | 13 Nov 2025 | ||
This week, Lydia provides all the fun facts about living on a boat while your nice hosts develop a card game based around scurvy management! PromptCreate a pirate themed game about food and scurvy management.Game typeCard gamePlayer count2-4MaterialsEvent deck Resource Deck SetupShuffle the event deck and the resource deck separately. Deal 5 cards from the resource deck to each player. Rules
| |||
| "That's an interesting example." Naming Files; Unity Security Vulnerability (2025) | 06 Nov 2025 | ||
This week features a timeless topic followed by a timely one, both of them pretty important. Lydia prepares for Chicago, Mark shares his slides, and Stephen gonna chill.
| |||
| Nice Thinking: "Noble Tools" | 30 Oct 2025 | ||
In this episode, Lydia and Stephen are rubber ducks for Mark as he talks through his ideas for a suite of Unity plugin tools. Buckle up, there's a lot! They also discuss whether to bundle or not to bundle tools, considerations of scope and price, and the deep appreciation for easy-to-use interfaces.
Stay tuned to find out! 0:13:22Noble ToolsRewiredUnity Asset StoreNoble EngineNoble RobotLydia really needs to listen to the episode where Stephen and Mark talk about the localization of Widget Satchel."I definitely thought of that ahead of time."Noble Menuitch.io | |||
| "This is the earliest we’ve been this unhinged." Health; Developing for Speed Runners | 23 Oct 2025 | ||
Sam! returns to the clubhouse to help your nice hosts decide that Lakitu is no longer a savoir that comes down from the clouds, but since he has a job as a referee, should therefore be wearing a little ref shirt.
Your nice hosts talked about these health systems:
| |||
| Creative Peer Communities (with Sam Baeseman) | 16 Oct 2025 | ||
Your nice hosts welcome 3D artist and Nice Games Alliance board member Sam Baeseman into the clubhouse to talk about how online Discord communities become available and how to become a part of or lead such communities. Creative Peer CommunitiesIRLMisc.Sam's Social Links - skrimbus, LinktreeJAMA Jam - itch.ioInternational Game Developers Association, Twin Cities ChapterGrape Juice City - Splashworks Studio, Steam | |||
| Nice Thinking: "Ladder Game" | 09 Oct 2025 | ||
It's been awhile, but it's time for another video episode! This week, Mark's colleague Mike Lasch enters the clubhouse to build a digital prototype live on-air! | |||
| Nice Games Jam: "I’m Holding It for a Friend" | 02 Oct 2025 | ||
We invite Joanna May into the clubhouse again in this supersized episode to design a game about stowing illicit goods into spacecraft as it's being built! (Note: Minor hiccup with the audio recording in the first 2 minutes, so Lydia is off mic briefly but it fixes itself.) PromptDesign a puzzle game about loading passengers and/or cargo into various spacecraft (or other transport).Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count4 or moreRules
| |||
| "Ain’t nothin’ left." Role-playing; To Rebuild or Not to Rebuild | 25 Sep 2025 | ||
Joanna May returns to the clubhouse as a guest host! Your four nice hosts chat Tetris, knitting, and CSS, but also have a pair of actual topics to discuss... 0:13:36Role-playingComplete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of TetrisPig with the Face of a BoyYouTubeTetris (film) - Historical accuracyWikipedia0:35:27To Rebuild or Not to RebuildJoanna previously joined us as a guest to discussSerializationGodot 4.5 release notes - SDL3 gamepad inputGodotNoble EngineNoble RobotGitHubThe Slow Way Is the Fast WayMark SamplesJoanna and Mark debated a concept called "Utility-first CSS" A Year of Utility Classes (Pro)Michelle BarkerCSS { In Real Life }What is Utility-First CSS? (Anti)Heydon PickeringHeydonWorks | |||
| Serious Play Conference 2025 | 18 Sep 2025 | ||
Your nice hosts Lydia and Ellen are on a seriously playful adventure in beautiful Rochester, New York for the Serious Play conference! They discuss game accessibility, D&D therapy, lexical gaps, validation, and more. In addition, Lydia beats the pavement and gets the hot scoop on what attendees learned at the conference and the games that shaped them. Many thanks once more to:
| |||
| "There's little guys in my screen." Video Content; Use the Dang Potion! | 11 Sep 2025 | ||
In this episode, Mark and Stephen talk about what they are excited about. Lydia deals with a existential crisis about keeping too much stuff. And nobody talks about the full motion video game that Dale made during a Global Game Jam during the topic on video content, where they talked extensively about FMV games. Don't worry! Dale edited this episode and linked the game in the show notes below. ;)
The FMV (Full Motion Video) game Dale and Beth made for Global Game Jam 2020, Corporate Espionage, is very campy. Enjoy! Use the Dang Potion!The reasons Lydia doesn't use the Potion: 1) She might need it (more) later, I don't want to waste it2) Everything could matterAnd more reasons: 3) Things are power in a power fantasy game, and it's hard to give up power 4) Potions feel like an assist mode, because you want to be better than that 5) Gambler's funCombatting the natural emotional response for players to keep their stuff Make stuff very abundant, and add use ware (like Zelda Breath of the Wild) Add narrative context that the intention is to sell it for in game money (like in Spirit Farer) Add explicit indicators that an item is required for a quest.Create items that are specific to a single purpose.Discourage gathering more items by making them annoying to collect | |||
| Nice Thinking: "Fishing Minigame Collection" | 04 Sep 2025 | ||
Stephen Business is back! And he’s attempting to make a meme into a reality. The clubhouse attempts to answer these (and other) questions:
Lydia's nice list of games with fishing minigames Tales of Arise Pokemon Animal Crossing Stardew ValleyLegend of Zelda (many) SkyrimKirby The Forgotten Land Verdant Skies Spiritfarer Red Dead Redemption 2 Final Fantasy (many) Sonic Frontiers Far Cry 5Hades | |||
| "Okay, I need to learn buttons." microStudio; Min-Maxing | 28 Aug 2025 | ||
It is a joyous day for pancake lovers everywhere, and a joyous week in the Clubhouse for Lydia who successfully made a thing using code! WOW! She shares her experience learning how to make buttons (and everything else) in microStudio. Then the Nice Hosts get real about their experiences with min-maxing in games. You know it's a good topic when it promises at least one spinoff topic so buckle up. Also in this episode: Mark is doing level design when he should be playing Donkey Kong Bonanza, new laptop(!), and the existential horror of the cozy game genre. 0:12:09microStudioLydia's starting point for her incremental learning plan."A Paragraph Signing"microStudiomicroStudioLydia's Experiment 1 - TutorialPress space to start. Use the arrow keys to move the slime to the cookie. microStudioLydia's Experiment 2 - Buttons PracticeClick the heart to add it to the skeleton’s chest microStudioLydia's Experiment 3 - Build a SkeletonClick on the buttons to add silly organs to the skeleton. Keep clicking the button to cycle through your options for that organ. microStudioLydia's Experiment 4 - Despawn PracticePress space to add 10 seconds to the timer. Click correct or incorrect to add or subtract points to the score. Clicking spawns sparkles! microStudio0:37:00Min-Maxing | |||
| Concept Art Workflows (with Laura Onderwater) | 21 Aug 2025 | ||
Returning "favorite" Laura Onderwater re-enters the clubhouse to talk about task tracking, naming conventions, and paper trails of various kinds in an engaging discussion on concept art workflows. Even if you’re not part of an art team, there’s a lot to take away from this one!
| |||
| Nice Games Jam: "Repair-ent" | 14 Aug 2025 | ||
As promised, the three Korths, Andy, Beth and Gabe, join us in the clubhouse for our hundred and two or so episode tradition! The clubhouse was too crowded to fit Mark in, but having five hosts makes up for it. Your nice hosts design a game about fixing the messes your child makes and then returning the favor as you age.
| |||
| Revisiting Your Games (with Andy Korth) | 07 Aug 2025 | ||
As is tradition, a couple of episodes after a hundredth we invite one or more of our pals the Korths into the clubhouse. This time we were lucky enough to have all of the family Korths (coming soon), and a bonus interview with Andy Korth! We talk with him about his recent work updating Verdant Skies. Revisiting Your GamesGame DesignProductionUI / UXVerdant Skies - Howling Moon SoftwarePreviously we had Beth Korth on to talk about Narrative Design, in general and related to Verdant Skies.Narrative Design We had the whole Korth family on in this episode.Families in GamesAndy and Beth were both on in a deep dive into the code of Verdant Skies in this video episode.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"And here's the episode that started the tradition!Steam GreenlightGamers using game controllers for PC gaming has tripled since 2018 — Steam surv… - Christopher Harper, Tom's Hardware | |||
| "From apocrypha or experience." 400th Episode Special | 31 Jul 2025 | ||
It's a big one for your nice hosts... and your newest nice host wants to know more. Lydia takes Mark and Stephen though the history of the program, in three acts. 0:02:04Act I: Interview0:57:38Act II: Quiz1:12:47Act III: Jam | |||