Skirmish Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Today we host our first guest ever from Kuwait. Indie game developer Mohammad Al-Sharefee, who recently released the first chapter of his iOS AR-aided horror True Horror. Listen to Mohammad speak about his experience building the game, and learn a bit more about the game development community in Kuwait.

Show Notes

• Mohammad Al-Sharefee on Skirmish
• Twitter
• Instagram
• True Horror
• IntroMusic: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)
• Kill You sound effect: AngelJS

Our guest today comes from the busienss side of games. Alesja Serada is an App Store Optimization specialist from Belarus, currently working at mobile free-to-play game publishing firm Tap2Play.me. In this episode, we gain insight from Alesja about the work that goes behind the scenes, in order to get your mobile game app at the front page of the app store.

We also take the chance to know a little more about the mobile game publishing game Tap2Play, and the type of games they're seeking to publish in the meantime.

Show Notes:

• Tap2Play.me
• IntroMusic: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)

Ventuar is a young rising talent in the game industry. He works in game design and development, but specifically shines in his lowpoly artwork. His work over the last year have dramatically improved, and his recent timelapse theme based cities built using Blender are gaining huge attention.

Ventuar is our youngest guest so far, still in public school. Listen to this half hour interview to know more about him and how he is constantly improving his skills. 

Show Notes:

• Ventuar on Skirmish: https://skirmish.io/u/ventuar
• Ventuar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ventuargames
• Ventuar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXvQbHsROTGAeKYoSc-wBUg
• Speedrunners (game): http://store.steampowered.com/app/207140/SpeedRunners/
• Jumps (game): http://store.steampowered.com/app/544310/Jumps/
• Eragon (book): https://www.amazon.com/Eragon-Inheritance-Book-Christopher-Paolini/dp/0375826696
• IntroMusic: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)

Poor Small Studio is a two-man studio from India, who without any technical background, decided to go full time and work on their passion of game development. For their first project, they're working on Entropy's Fall. A game that pays tribute to their favorites, Shadow of the Colossus and God of War.

Without job, money, experience, or even a nurturing community, their journey couldn't be more difficult. Yet they're showing promising results in such a short time. Listen to their story for the first time, here. 

Reference Links:

Poor Small Studio on Skirmish: https://skirmish.io/users/poorsmallstudio

Official Poor Small Studio Site: http://poorsmallstudio.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoorSmallStudio/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/poorsmallstudio

Intro Music: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)

Brannan Vitek is a Unity game developer, pixel artist, and a composer from America. He is studying Game Design and Development at Kennesaw State University, have participated in online and offline game jams, and is working to release his first commercial couch style game, rightly called "Ninja Couch Party". 

We talk to him about his decision to pursue game development as a career path, building his set of skills, his game jam experience, and he even gives us for the first time a brief of the ultimate game he'd like to develop one day.

To find more about Brannan, follow him on Skirmish, follow his Twitter page, and visit his official site to try this games.

Links and Resources:

Music

Intro: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)

Found lamp sound https://www.freesound.org/people/jobro/sounds/198808/ Rubbing https://www.freesound.org/people/redafs/sounds/380336/ Mystery chime https://www.freesound.org/people/Unaxete/sounds/329795/

Games and Developers

Rivals of Aether Early Melon (Roof Rage)

Robert Anderson is a solo indie developer from Cape Town, South Africa. His first commercial game ORB has just hit Steam Greenlight, and he's here to tell us about his journey, and his game. 

Reference Links:

• Robert Anderson on Skirmish
• Vote for ORB on Steam Greenlight
• ORB On Skirmish
• ORB Official Page
• Devil's Peak on Twitter
• ORI And The Blind Forest

Mohammad Alhuraiz (Asatiir) is a parttime solo indie developer from UAE. He's mainly an artist, but has taught himself Python, and is working on his strategy RPG game Roses Will Rise. Mohammad tells us about his story, getting into the game industry, building his game, and glimpse into the game development scene in the United Arab Emirates.

Reference Links:

• Asatiir on Skirmish
• Roses Will Rise on Skirmish
• Asatiir on Itch.io
• Support Asatiir on Patreon
• Asatiir on Twitter
• The Binding of Isaac

Nikolas Crisci is a German solo indie developer working on Will Glow the WISP. His game has recently been greenlit on Steam. Listen to him talk about his work, his experience and insight on Steam Greenlight, and some of his recommended games!

Reference links:

Nikolas on Skirmish: https://skirmish.io/u/parttimeindie

Nikolas website: https://parttimeindie.com/ 

Meet Nicki at German Dev Days

Unity Assets

Particle Playground

DOTween Pro

Pro Camera 2D

Games

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist

Rocketbirds: Harboiled Chicken

Invisible Inc.

Nuclear Throne

Team Indie

In the first ever episode of Skirmish podcast, we interview Will Helliwell. A young composer from England who is aspiring to work in the video game industry that he loved since his childhood. He has recently finished an online game jam, where he has been the composer of the game, working with two other developers online, that he's never met or spoke to in his life, except through chat. 

Will talks to us about how he developed this music passion, his studies, and his career. He also shares his insight about the game industry, and some tips for young composers. You also get to listen to one of his greatest music pieces during the show, as well as his favorite game music piece of all time.

Will is a member of the Skirmish game development community, and you can follow him here: https://skirmish.io/u/willhelliwell.

To find more about him, you may also visit his site: http://www.williamhelliwell.co.uk/ 

and follow him on Twitter: @willhelliwell1

Music 

Intro: Underlocked (Erik Skiff)

Link's Awakening - Marin Sings the Ballad of the Wind Fish

Closing music: Roaming (Will Helliwell)

Meetups

London Unity User Group: Monthly event for Unity developers in London, attended by more than just programmers.

London Indie Pub Night: Monthly meetup in London where many indie devs and game talents show up, relax, have a chat, and often show their games. 

Games

Gone Home

To The Moon