The Red Tunic Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Hey Link here, thanks for joining me for episode 111 where I speak with Noel Berry, where we talk about the draw of smaller games, how they got into the industry, words of encouragement, games that got them interested in making games, comfort games, games they've been enjoying lately, their life outside of games, and some lightning round questions

Before we get started, don't forget there are links in the episode description that you can follow to learn more about Noel as well as the podcast. Also, don't forget to like and share the episode and without further adieu, enjoy episode 111!

0:00 Start

5:00 The draw of making smaller games

7:30 How they got into the industry

12:15 Words of encouragement

16:45 Games that got them interested in the industry

37:15 Comfort Games

40:00 Games they've been enjoying lately

55:30 Life outside of gaming

01:03:45 The Lightning Round

01:06:30 Closing Time

Check Noel out via their website: https://noelberry.ca/

Hey Link here, thanks for joining me for episode 110 where I speak with Isadora Sophia where we talk about how they got into making games, words of encouragement, games that got them wanting to make games, why she created her own engine, games that might not hold up from her childhood, her life outside of games, some lightning round questions, and what makes games enjoyable to her.

Before we get started, don't forget there are links in the episode description that you can follow to learn more about Isadora as well as the podcast. Also, don't forget to like and share the episode and without further adieu, enjoy episode 110!

0:00 Start

12:00 How they got into making games

16:00 Words of encouragement

18:30 What games got them into wanting to make games

26:30 Why their own engine?

29:15 Games that might not hold up from their childhood

40:00 Life outside of games

52:00 Lightning Round

55:00 What makes gaming enjoyable to them

01:11:30 Closing time

Check out Isadora via her site: https://isadorasophia.com/about/

Check out Neverway's website: https://neverwaygame.com/

Check out Isadora on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/isadora.codes

Hey Link here, thanks for joining me for episode 101 where I speak with Legendary Game Designer Harvey Smith, where we talk about who they are and the current state of the industry, immersive sims, their life outside of gaming, and more!

Before we get started, don't forget there are links in the episode description that you can follow to learn more about Harvey as well as the podcast. Also, don't forget to like and share the episode and without further adieu, enjoy episode 101!

0:00 Start

2:00 State of the Industry

14:00 Immersive sims & other topics

51:00 Outside of Gaming

58:00 Closing Time

Check Harvey out on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/harvey1966.bsky.social

In this episode I speak with Becky Frost, Events Coordinator Special Effect. A charity organization based out of the UK that specializes helping those with physical disabilities play video games.

00:00 - 2:15 - Introductions

02:15 - 9:00 - What all Special Effect does and how Becky got working for them

9:00 - 13:45 - We discuss the kind of impact Becky has seen from the organization

13:45 - 20:00 - We discusse the hardware/software changes and the good it can all do from her perspective being in the industry.

20:00 - 25:45 - I ask a question about her opinion on accessibility. I also asked this question in a way that almost seems aggressive, and that is entirely on me

25:45 - 28:00 - We talk about what Becky got into gaming, what she enjoys about video games and how she enjoys them now.

28:00 - 33:15 - We talk about what her favorite games were as a child, and why she really enjoyed them.

33:15 - 37:00 - We talk about games that Becky feels might not hold up to today's standards, and discussing text based adventure games and their resurgence.

37:00 - 41:00 - We talk about what her current favorite games that she is currently enjoying

41:00 - 45:30 - We talk about what kind of trends in gaming she has enjoyed seeing over the last few years

45:30 - 50:15 - I turn the floor over to Becky and let her talk about how you can help the organization

50:15 - End - Closing

An article regarding the Tekken player that we had discussed during the podcast

Learn more about Becky by checking out her twitter at https://twitter.com/beckyfr0st

Learn more about Special Effect by checking out their twitter at https://twitter.com/SpecialEffect, their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/specialeffectteam/, their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEffectCharity/, and their website which has all sorts of great information www.specialeffect.org.uk

In this episode I speak with Shelby Moledina, co-founder and game director at Double Loop Games. A new mobile studio aiming to release their first game sometime this year.

00:00 - 2:00: Introductions

2:00 - 8:45 : We discuss their studios desire to make a game for people not self-identifying as gamers, and how trying to make a more friendly environment to better include them. We continue this discussion and talk about how you tailor this

8:45 - 24:45 : We discuss how Shelby got into developing video games and her history in the industry, skills, and experiences.

24:45 - 33:55 : Shelby shares her advice based on her experience for getting into the industry. She made a really interesting point about doing what you enjoy doing even if it is not entirely related to the process as you never know what skills will contribute to the process.

33:55 - 44:00 : We discuss Shelby's favourite game as a child and what it is about that game she enjoyed. We then transition to getting to her current all time favourite game, Stardew Valley, and talking about what it is about that game, and Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, that she finds enjoyable.

44:00 - 48:00 : Shelby brings up the a good point about how game design decisions, while may appear like they were made quickly or without thought, often have a lot of process behind them and are intentional and that it shouldn't be attributed to a developer being lazy or incapable.

48:00 - 51:00 : We talk about how Shelby enjoys gaming now and what makes it enjoyable to her while also balancing a busy schedule, and just life in general.

51:00 - 55:00 : I ask Shelby if she's the mom showing her kids how to install and run games, potentially inappropriate games in the same ways many fathers have in the past. She touches on how she introduces her kids to gaming as well as how to appropriately handle that.

55:00 -  : Closing

Learn more about Double Loop Games at their website https://www.doubleloopgames.com/

Check out Shelby on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shelbymoledina

In this episode I speak with Dillon Rogers, one of the developers for the upcoming game Gloomwood. A first person immersive sim with a focus on stealth where you are trying to escape a cursed Victorian City.

(0:25 - 2:20) Introductions

(2:20 - 4:25) We discuss why he decided to make an immersive sim, and what made him want to create a game that has heavy influences from 90's first person games.

(4:25 - 9:30 ) We continue the conversation leading to my thoughts and views on having a better appreciation for games like Gloomwood in my older age (That I hope others can relate to), leading into how the game has evolved into a deeper immersive sim.

(9:30 - 12:15 ) We talk about how Dillon got involved with New Blood via Dusk Developer David Szymnanski.

(12:15 - 13:30 ) We briefly talk about STALKER

(13:30 - 20:15 ) We talk the potential future of immersive sims and whether the current climate is really ready for an indie resurgence of them

(20:15 - 30:45 ) We talk about Dillon's earlier favorite games and what first person shooter really helped him discover his love of the genre. As well as discussing older first person shooters in general.

(30:45 - 40:30 ) We talk about what makes gaming enjoyable to Dillon, and how he enjoys gaming now, and how modding and modded games play a primary role in that.

(40:30 - 46:35 ) We talk about advice he might give to those looking to get into the industry based on his experience.

(46:35 - 1:02:50 ) We wrap it up and I give Dillon the floor to talk about whatever he has on his mind and wants to share.

(1:02:50 - X:XX:XX) Closing

Check out Gloomwood on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150760/Gloomwood/

Check out more great titles from New Blood Interactive's publisher page at https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/NewBlood

Check out Dillon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TafferKing451

In this episode I speak with Awesreek, one of the lead developers/creators of Viscerafest. A first person shooter where you play as Caroline, a mercenary taking on a bounty so she can afford an engagement ring to propose to her boyfriend Athens.

Going to try the descriptions a little differently this time, and instead of trying to write it all out and risk not doing it enough justice (And at risk of bumping against character limits haha), I'm going to refer to the times and a little broader description of those times.

(2:15 - 9:45) In this conversation we discuss how he got into game development and advice he can give for other developers based on his experiences and what he might suggest not to do.

(9:45 - 16:00) We talk about some of his favourite games (And show) when he was younger and how he enjoyed the Battlefield series

(16:15 - 19:00) We touch on games, and tv shows, that didn't age as well as they could have. Especially kids shows and licensed tie ins.

(19:00 - 28:30) We go back to discussing the kinds of games he played when he was younger and how he remembers and feels about those games looking back on it, and how some older games seem to hold up better due to the scope of what they were trying to do when met with the limitations of the technology at the time.

(28:30 - 43:30) We shift to discussing current favourite games with that primarily being Doom Eternal and begin discussing Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. Awesreek shares his opinions on what he feels Doom 2016 did, and didn't execute well and how he feels these things were improved upon in the next entry in the series.

(43:30 - 48:45) We then talk about a game called Powerslave also known as Exhumed which he feels is an rather unknown and older first person shooter.

(48:45 - 58:00) I ask about his view on the games fandom and how creators are able to interact with its fans, and how he interacts with his lively and active Discord server.

58:00 - 01:xx:xx) We wrap it up with Awesreek making sure everyone knows where they can find more information

To learn more about Viscerafest, or to join the Discord server, check out the links below

Join the Viscerafest Discord by clicking following this link : discord.gg/E2pUkxe

To get updates on the game, sneak peaks, or pictures of Awesreek's cat follow his Twitter @Awesreek

Be sure to check out the games Steam Page to follow and wishlist it!

In this episode I speak with Liz MacDonell, community manager at Clever Plays. An indie game studio based out of Montreal, developers of Leap of Fate, and Operation Tango (Which as of this time, now has a release date of June 1st on the PC!)

In this conversation, I talk with Liz about the Clever Plays studio and having the company based in a city with a lot of other indie game dev studios and the kind of environment it creates

We discuss Liz’s background and how she got into her role at Clever Plays by initially creating an “unofficial stream team” with a collection of other streamers and getting her feet wet being a community manager for the group Jabroni TV where she learned how to juggle such roles of managing social media, and schedules, and video editing which prepared her for the opportunity at Clever Plays. She also touches on how important it is to have a great support group that is going to help push you to succeed

Liz also shares some advice on what she feels has helped her prepare for her role and that to always be willing to learn and polish your skills. She makes an important point as well about the difficulties of getting into the role as it requires having the right voice and passion for the studio, and that when looking for a role like this, to keep your motivation up as being the right fit is incredibly important and you’ll eventually find one that is the right fit for you and the studio

We then talk about how Liz got into video games and what her fond memories of her first console and favorite PS2 game, Dark Cloud. Having to share the experience with her brother and the two getting to experience the game together. As well discussing her experience with Dark Cloud and potentially enjoying its sequel

We move on to then talking about what she is playing and enjoying now, and Liz touches on the beauty of playing co-op games and how you can share and experience games together. One of the important things Liz brings up is the joy you can get from enjoying a game with friends and how it only enhances the experience, especially now during the pandemic when it’s harder and harder to actually spend time together with people

We briefly touch on a game she felt did not hold up well, in this case Harvest Moon Save The Homeland for the PS2, and while I can and will agree with Liz that it did a lot of things that paved the way for future Harvest Moon games, I will also agree with her that it really is not the best entry to start with in the series and quickly move on to discussing trends she has enjoyed seeing rise, and how she enjoys the rogue-like/lite genre and even enjoys watching other people play them more. We continue this discussion on rogue-likes, specifically Hades, and how even if you aren’t able to play at a high level, being able to enjoy it via another person, or playing it on its “easy” mode without having to struggle with some of the difficulties of the genre. This leads to the discussion of being able to enjoy watching video games on services like Twitch and being able to share their experience with them and the community

I also ask her thoughts on the landscape for being able to communicate with fans easier thanks to the technology as well as the importance of trying to create a welcoming community and try and foster its growth

We wrap it up with Liz giving some more information on their asymmetrical game, Operation Tango, what it’s about and where you can find more information for it (Links can be found below in the link tree!)

Click the links below for more info:

Click here to view the Clever Plays linktree

Check out Liz on Twitter @LizMacD22

Check out her collective group at http://jabroni.tv/

In this episode I speak with Max Mraz, developer of Ocean's Heart. A 2D  Zelda inspired game where you explore an archipelago as the game's  heroine Tilla.

In this conversation we discuss where some of his inspirations for the  game came from and the feeling he was looking to instill in the game,  and the satisfaction found while exploring forests.

We discuss some of his best advice being to start small with projects  that are going to be easier to learn from and iterate on with  experience. With this, it also allows to take what works best and better  integrate it from the very beginning in gameplay mechanics.

We discuss that some of his favorite games as a child being Pokemon  Crystal and Zelda Oracle of Seasons due to their emphasis on  exploration. This leading to the Zelda series meaning the most to him  due to their constant focus on exploration and discovery.

We briefly discuss older games having numerous platform releases,  leading to the learning experience there was a Tom and Jerry cartoon  movie in the early 90s and how it is, really not worth the time to chase  down or watch (No really, you're safe to ignore it and just move on).

We talk about some of his other favorite games, Wario Advance as well as the Bionicles series which was part of a sprawling series that had games, movies, comics, all interconnected across multiple different mediums... Including a flash game as a sequel to a Gameboy Advance game.

We also talk about how Max is able to get back to feeling the magic of his childhood with his Saturday morning ritual of being able to spend time relaxing, making cinnamon rolls and playing video games, finding the ability to be carefree even if for a few hours. As well, having a game with a set story and advancement creating his ideal gaming time.

We also talk about older games and their evolution of the narrative being expanded upon, and consistently becoming a primary focus of games with story being just as important as everything else. We also discuss the evolution of gameplay mechanics getting better, and in the case of older camera controls, just how far they've come over the last 20 years.

We also discuss how it is important to draw a line when engaging with your audience and fans can be fun, but it is still important to protect yourself against both ends of the extreme and avoid getting into a negative or positive feedback loop and not allow yourself to drown in what everyone is saying.

You can find out more about Max's game Ocean's Heart, as well as his smaller side project games at the links below, as well as follow him for more of his own updates via the Twitter link as well

Oceans Heart on Steam

Max's Itch.IO Page

Max's Twitter @11Mraz

In this episode I speak with Oscar Brittain, one of the developers at  Henry's House, currently working on the storefront management game  Kardboard King's.

In this conversation, we discuss what kind of game Kardboard King's is  and what the intentions behind it were, and how they were trying to  recapture the feeling of going to the card shop as a kid and getting to  enjoy that feeling.

We discuss how a surgery lead to him discovering video games, and then  how getting laid off from his job lead him down a path of going back to  school and then inevitably to him deciding to just go for it and take  the plunge to try and make a video game.

Oscar also had a unique approach to learning to make games by focusing  more on learning good design principles before trying to make something.

We also talk about how Oscar enjoys games can be completely unique and  deliver a new and surprising experience, and how games, such as Ubisoft  games, can deliver exactly what you expect and how those can create a  juxtaposition to entirely different games and help you appreciate new  and different elements all the more. With Oscar also not playing a lot  of games when he was younger, he shares how playing older games is  always surprising to see what great ideas older games were able to  deliver on, and what older game ideas are still present today.

You can find more information about Henrys House and their projects below:

Kardboard King's on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1298480/Kardboard_Kings/

Nanomon Virtual Pet on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1498060/Nanomon_Virtual_Pet/

Henry's House Twitter @HenrysHouseAU

Oscar Brittain's Twitter @moomoomang