Explore every episode of the podcast The Secret Lives of Games
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 142: Winning Together with Sarah Elmaleh (SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike) | 01 Sep 2024 | 01:16:28 | |
We’re joined by our own Sarah Elmaleh, who is currently leading the SAG-AFTRA video-game actors’ strike as Chair of the union's Interactive Negotiating Committee. In this rare topical emergency episode, we discuss the urgency of securing basic protections for performers in the age of so-called “generative A.I.,” the power of collective action, and why this fight has existential stakes for video games as a commercial medium. Happy Labor Day! Show Notes | |||
| Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Part 3 | 28 Aug 2024 | 02:00:59 | |
In this 3rd and final installment of our latest deep-dive miniseries, the crew continue to discuss “yahtzee roguelike” Slice & Dice, a host favorite that has made our GOTY list for two years running. We're joined once again by series guest co-host Darius Kazemi. This episode, we ask Slice & Dice developer tann six (6) questions about the game. We also discuss Nightmare mode, as well as the modding system. Show Notes: Slice & Dice on Steam, itch, iOS, and Google Play Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Episode 1 & 2 Eggplant interview with Animal Well's Billy Basso and Dan Adelman Eggplant interview with Balatro's localthunk | |||
| 136: Going in Blind with Balatro | 05 Apr 2024 | 01:25:48 | |
We're joined by LocalThunk, solo creator of the hypnotic deckbuilder Balatro. We discuss flauting the fashion of a genre and going into development blind, the benefits of balacing by feel, and why Balatro shouldn't exist. Show Notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 3 | 25 Dec 2020 | 01:22:30 | |
The third installment of a special miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. Show notes: | |||
| 59: Making Magic with Chevy Ray Johnston (Ikenfell) | 19 Dec 2020 | 01:23:23 | |
Ikenfell creator Chevy Ray Johnston joins us to explore the inner workings of his tactical magic school RPG, from building a meaningful story with interpersonal stakes, to nailing the timing on a streamlined yet dynamic combat system. Show notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 2 | 11 Dec 2020 | 01:45:00 | |
The second installment of a special miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. Show notes: | |||
| 58: Easing into Hades with Supergiant Games | 04 Dec 2020 | 01:26:42 | |
Greg Kasavin and Amir Rao of Supergiant Games join us for a deep design dive on their smash hit dungeon-crawler Hades, from how (and why) they tackled gameplay and narrative persistence in a roguelike, to creating dynamic systems and characters that always have something new to say. Show notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 1 | 27 Nov 2020 | 01:10:51 | |
Introducing a special Into the Depths miniseries produced by developer Die Gute Fabrik, an examination of their wonderful 'mutant soap opera' told through the lens of its music. In this first installment, they discuss the origins of their collaboration, and the early direction and influences that informed the tone of both the game and its music. Show notes: Mutazione (Original Game Soundtrack) Alessandro's Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione Nils' Spotify playlist of music that influenced Mutazione | |||
| 57: Small Games with Stuffed Wombat | 21 Nov 2020 | 01:24:36 | |
Josh "Stuffed Wombat" Hollendonner joins us to discuss his inspiring oeuvre of Small Games, from creating the 10mg collection - and his entry Always Down - to exploring the tiny text adventures of Ord, and the sustainability and learnings of exploring the Small Games space. Show notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 5 | 13 Nov 2020 | 02:23:50 | |
In the final installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, creator Derek Yu and lead programmer Micky Pascual regale us with stories of development, their approach to the post-launch changes, and how they tackled an ocean of secrets. First half is largely spoiler-free (until 1:14), second half is full spoilers! Show notes: | |||
| 56: Sourcing Locally with Ngoc Vu (Necrobarista) | 07 Nov 2020 | 01:13:34 | |
Necrobarista's lead artist Ngoc Vu sits down to tell us how her team created the singular aesthetic of their kinetic visual novel, and talks us through its inseparable Melbourne inspirations. Show notes: Long Live the Queen (the game Ngoc couldn't remember!) | |||
| Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 4 | 31 Oct 2020 | 02:10:01 | |
In the fourth installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we wade into the deepest secrets and SPOILERS of the game, covering the entire "chain" path and far beyond, giving our impressions, tips, and design musings along the way. Show notes: A breakdown of 2013's most fascinating video game moment Ancient Egyptian sacrificial mythology Our new voicemail number: 312-809-9680 | |||
| 55: Maximizing Minimalism with Disc Room | 22 Oct 2020 | 01:38:11 | |
The ENTIRE all-star Disc Room team - Kitty Calis, JW Nijman, Doseone, and Terri Vellmann - stop by for a rowdy disc-ussion on their new arcade sci-fi avoid-em-up. We chat about making the Margherita pizza of games, nailing the details to make a simple concept sing, and making the most of team collaborations. Show notes: | |||
| 135: Harnessing the Algorithm with Eric Chahi | 15 Mar 2024 | 01:26:00 | |
We're joined by renowned designer Eric Chahi (Another World, From Dust) to discuss his singularly surreal VR adventure Paper Beast. We discuss building a living ecosystem born from constraints, how the craft has changed over the decades, and the indecency of technology. Show Notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 3 | 16 Oct 2020 | 01:35:37 | |
In the third installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we continue the discussion on its unique difficult curve, debate the latest changes to the game, and talk through the design of worlds 3-5. Show notes: Thanks for a Great Launch (Update) | |||
| 54: Trusting Your Gut with Tj Hughes (Nour: Play With Your Food) | 10 Oct 2020 | 01:24:55 | |
Tj Hughes (Terrifying Jellyfish) joins us to talk about his upcoming experimental food/art game Nour: Play With Your Food. We discuss games as toys, making things accessible by making them weird, and the most important element of both cooking and design (spoilers: it's love). Show notes: | |||
| Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 2 | 02 Oct 2020 | 01:27:35 | |
In the second installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we discuss the game's radical approach to difficulty, break down and contrast the second worlds of the game, and compare results on the Daily challenge. | |||
| 53: Keeping it Short with Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike) | 25 Sep 2020 | 01:23:45 | |
A Short Hike creator Adam Robinson-Yu chills with us to chat about his cozy exploration game, from its Humble origins and inspirations, to balancing feature density with scope. Show notes: A Short Hike | |||
| Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 1 | 18 Sep 2020 | 01:22:17 | |
In the first installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we have a - spoiler-free! - discussion of the first world of the game, design changes big and small and their implications, and what this sequel does to recapture the essence of what make the series so special. Show notes: Surviving Spelunky 2: Tips for a Successful Expedition/Transition | |||
| 52: Barking Up the Right Tree with Lucy Morris (Best Friend Forever) | 11 Sep 2020 | 01:24:52 | |
Lucy Morris (Starcolt) joins us to talk about her recently-released dating/pet care sim Best Friend Forever! We discuss running a studio in a small community, building three dimensional characters, and the emotional travails of launching a game. Show notes: Launch Day: the emotional cost of releasing a game | |||
| 51: Good Sudoku with Zach Gage | 28 Aug 2020 | 01:24:31 | |
We kick off a new era with a fully rebranded show! After navel-gazing about the changes, we talk to our own Zach Gage about making a Sudoku game that loves you. Show notes: | |||
| 50: Spelunky 2 with Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke | 14 Aug 2020 | 01:44:18 | |
We close out this chapter of the podcast with some (spoiler-free!) impressions of the near-final Spelunky 2, with creators Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke to guide us through their design process and answer your burning questions. The walls are shifting... Some things we discussed: | |||
| 49: Fun with Hexes with Ricky Haggett, Jonathan Whiting, and Tim Schafer (Loot Rascals) | 31 Jul 2020 | 01:19:37 | |
Loot Rascals co-designers Ricky Haggett and Jonathan Whiting join us to discuss their whimsical cosmic roguelike, as does superfan Tim Schafer to help us sing its praises! We discuss playing with hexes in the pub, the function of humor in games, and how Loot Rascals is the first "stranding" game. Some things we discussed: | |||
| 48: Making It Personal with Shawn Alexander Allen (Treachery in Beatdown City) | 17 Jul 2020 | 01:49:08 | |
Shawn Alexander Allen joins us to talk about his tactical brawler, Treachery in Beatdown City. We discuss the roots and inspirations of this innovative mash-up, the action economy that makes it tick, and the process of translating life experience into your creative work. Some things we discussed: Put Your Glock Away, I've Got a Stronger Weapon For You (A Maze talk) @writnelson's Blockbuster thread | |||
| 134: Striving for Imperfection with Jon Ingold (A Highland Song) | 24 Feb 2024 | 01:35:32 | |
We're joined by Jon Ingold, co-founder of Inkle Studios (80 Days, Heaven's Vault) to discuss A Highland Song - a wild adventure through the Scottish Highlands. We chat about creating narrative-driven games without a critical path, allowing players to fail forward, and the origins of Inkle's beloved narrative scripting language, ink. Show Notes: | |||
| 47: Indie Dev as Engine Building with Theresa Duringer | 03 Jul 2020 | 01:15:20 | |
Theresa Duringer (Temple Gates Games) joins us to discuss the process of bringing board games to digital platforms. We discuss tutorial and UI challenges, machine learning for AI, and how to find your niche as a small studio. Show notes: Machine Learning for Boardgame AI in Race for the Galaxy AlphaStar: Mastering the Real-Time Strategy Game StarCraft II Keldon Jones' Race for the Galaxy AI | |||
| 46: Reconsidering Civilization with Soren Johnson (Old World) | 20 Jun 2020 | 01:51:53 | |
Soren Johnson (Offworld Trading Company) joins us to discuss his new historical strategy game Old World, as we dive into playing by feel in a numbers-driven game, the problematic themes inherent to the 4X genre, and personalizing games through narrative scale. Some things we discussed: | |||
| Into the Depths: Noita - Part 5 | 29 May 2020 | 02:01:21 | |
In the final installment of our Noita miniseries, Nolla Games' Petri Purho and Olli Harjola join us for a deep dive Q&A on the game! We discuss the influence of magic on its design, its origins and early iterations, how they empower different play styles, and where the boundaries of the game might actually be. | |||
| 45: Andy's Sprawling Birthday Spectacular | 22 May 2020 | 01:42:00 | |
It's Andy's big 5-0 and we're celebrating by diving into our mailbag of thoughtful listener questions! We discuss working within a team, how academic practice intersects development, framing your work across a career, the role of aesthetics in games, and the materiality of engines. Phew! B.U.T.T.O.N.: On Self-Effacing Games and Unachievements Designing with Physics: Bend the Physics Engine to Your Will | |||
| Into the Depths: Noita - Part 4 | 15 May 2020 | 01:27:01 | |
In the fourth installment of our Noita miniseries, we discuss the intention of randomness, getting stuck in our play patterns, leaning into the game's weirdness, and some modifications we'd like to see. | |||
| 44: Quarantine Arcade with Derek Yu | 08 May 2020 | 01:52:42 | |
Spelunky creator Derek Yu returns for an expansive discussion on the membrane between players/devs, the connection between design/process, and the understated influence of arcade games on his work - all through the lens of what we've been playing and thinking about in quarantine. Some things we discussed: | |||
| Into the Depths: Noita - Part 3 | 01 May 2020 | 01:32:22 | |
In the third installment of our miniseries, we discuss Noita's worldbuilding, secrets in game culture, games as toys, tutorialization (or lack thereof), and the conflicts of wandcrafting. | |||
| 43: A Window Into Narrative Systems with Tom Francis | 24 Apr 2020 | 01:38:43 | |
Tom Francis (Gunpoint, Heat Signature) crashes in to discuss his upcoming small-scale strategy game Tactical Breach Wizards, how he finds and focuses on the cores of his games, and the narrative systems that make them sing. Some things we discussed: Tom Francis | |||
| Into the Depths: Noita - Part 2 | 17 Apr 2020 | 01:20:23 | |
In the second installment of our miniseries, we discuss our different play styles, wand customization, building games around online communities, and our experiences with - and the implementation of - Noita's Daily Challenge. Some things we discussed: Noita | |||
| 42: The Secrets of Simplicity with Martin Jonasson (holedown) | 10 Apr 2020 | 01:14:07 | |
Martin Jonasson (holedown) joins us to extract the juiciness that powers his "delightful spectacle of bouncing," reveals the truth behind his rounded corners, and discusses the aesthetic and scope commitments that drove games like twofold inc. and rymdkapsel. Some things we discussed: | |||
| 133: Celebrating Our 5th Anniversary! | 09 Feb 2024 | 01:27:58 | |
We (belatedly) celebrate the 5th anniversary of our show with a sprawling, silly, reflective episode with a full house of hosts! Thanks for listening to us for all this time. <3 Show Notes: Everest Pipkin's The Poppy Grower | |||
| Into the Depths: Noita - Part 1 | 03 Apr 2020 | 01:16:46 | |
In this first installment of our new miniseries focused on Noita (with guest co-host Bennett Foddy), we share our early stories and beginner tips, discuss the genealogy of the game, and contemplate how we feel about shooting being its primary verb. Some things we discussed: | |||
| 41: Producing More Than You Consume with Tyriq Plummer (Catacomb Kids) | 27 Mar 2020 | 01:15:44 | |
Tyriq Plummer (Catacomb Kids, UFO 50) joins us to discuss the guts and evolution of his long-term roguelike project, how he stays motivated, and making his minions matter. Plus a very special show announcement! Tyriq Plummer | |||
| 40: The Physics of Uncertainly with Andrea Roberts (Roundguard) | 13 Mar 2020 | 01:22:56 | |
Andrea Roberts of Wonderbelly Games talks to us about her brand-new bouncy dungeon crawler Roundguard! We discuss physics as a system of uncertainty, combining Peggle with a roguelike formula, and using that formula to create player friendliness. Things we discussed: A Guide to Proc Gen Practitioners That's the Way the Ball Bounces: Using Physics to Manifest Chance in Roundguard | |||
| 39: The Tricks of the Toolkit with Mark Brown (Game Maker's Toolkit) | 28 Feb 2020 | 01:23:38 | |
Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit joins us to talk about the process behind his excellent series on game design. We discuss his recent video on randomness - diving deep on input/output randomness - as well as roguelike progression, and much more! Things we discussed: How (And Why) Spelunky Makes its Own Levels Michael Brough's Imbroglio "brog" Sid Meier's Psychology of Game Design Geoff Engelstein's "pink noise" talk Roguelikes, Persistency, and Progression | |||
| 38: The Rhythms and Layers of Ryan Clark | 15 Feb 2020 | 01:19:34 | |
Ryan Clark of Brace Yourself Games (Crypt of the Necrodancer, Cadence of Hyrule) sashays in to chat with us about how he hit on his rhythm roguelike formula, layering in depth to make his systems sing, and how he's found - and repeated - indie game success. Some things we discussed: Bard seeded speed world record | |||
| 37: Designing Around Language with Zach Gage | 31 Jan 2020 | 01:14:50 | |
We get cozy with our own Zach Gage to talk about his just-released SpellTower+, the follow-up to the puzzle game that put him on the map. We discuss making word searches interesting, the design of letter distribution, and making the Westworld of word games. SpellTower+ | |||
| 36: Game Feel as Procrastination with Jan Willem Nijman | 17 Jan 2020 | 01:23:17 | |
Jan Willem "JW" Nijman (Nuclear Throne, Minit) sits down with us to help us fix mini golf, before we dig into some of the design thinking behind Vlambeer's amazing catalog of action games, how he approaches prototyping, and being the self-proclaimed "Jamie Oliver of game feel." Things we discussed: Vlambeer | |||
| 35: Games of the Year 2019 with Laura E. Hall | 03 Jan 2020 | 01:41:56 | |
Immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall joins for our big GOTY show, as we each share our Top 5 games of 2019. We also hear many of YOUR picks (thanks!), and stick around until the end to hear picks from several of our 2019 guests. Happy New Year! Things we discussed: Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS) Laura: Zach: Doug: Andy: Nick: | |||
| 34: Getting Over Spelunky with Bennett Foddy | 20 Dec 2019 | 01:41:14 | |
With the help of our friend Bennett Foddy (QWOP, Getting Over It) we consider Spelunky as the Game of the Decade - we discuss what influence it's had (or hasn't had) in and beyond its genre, its distinct connection to Dark Souls, and experiencing the external narrative of modern gaming. Tim Rogers Presents The Games of the Decade | |||
| 33: Making Generous Games with Terry Cavanagh (Dicey Dungeons) | 07 Dec 2019 | 01:26:34 | |
Terry Cavanagh (Super Hexagon, VVVVVV) joins us to talk about his fantastic roguelike deckbuilder, Dicey Dungeons. We discuss the thread of generosity in his game design, the challenges of working across genres, and what might be next for Terry! Things we discussed: | |||
| 132: Welcoming Rob! | 30 Jan 2024 | 01:17:59 | |
We welcome Rob Dubbin (he/they) as a permanent member of the host pool! We discuss his journey from Late Night into making games, applicable lessons learned in the writers' room, and the importance of making your own shot. Show Notes: I Am America (And So Can You!) London Jerry: Freelance Mailman | |||
| 32: (Rerun) Into the Breach with Jay Ma | 22 Nov 2019 | 01:33:10 | |
We're taking a much-needed week off, but please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from early on. We'll be back in two weeks with guest Terry Cavanagh to talk about his new roguelike deckbuilder (dicebuilder?) Dicey Dungeons - check it out and send us your questions! Anyways, on to our show: Jay Ma of Subset Games joins us to discuss the design of her excellent sci-fi strategy game Into the Breach, from its Spelunky-inspired high/low-level design, to how they cracked its time-driven gameplay, to why throwing away 80% of their work...worked. Things we talked about: 'Into the Breach' Didn't Click Until I Played it Like an EMT Into the Breach - Fantastic Arcade 2017 Developer Commentary | |||
| 31: Good Times With Bad Robots with Frank Lantz (Hey Robot) | 08 Nov 2019 | 01:24:09 | |
Frank Lantz (Drop7, Universal Paperclips) stops by to tell us about his new party game for smart speakers, Hey Robot. We discuss fun ways to engage with rigid AI - and the privacy issues inherent to doing so - before taking a wild detour into the taxonomy of paddle boats. ClemmyGames' Top 10 Best Underrated Roguelike/Roguelites The history of Tetris randomizers | |||
| 30: Making Games is Hard | 25 Oct 2019 | 01:27:22 | |
Free of guests or a "plan," our crew of intrepid hosts dives into a bounty of stimulating listener questions! We discuss our personal roads into game design, the challenge of procedural generation in AAA games, and the game design of reality shows. Things we discussed: Kirby703_'s World 23 correction Game Design Deep Dive: The creative camaraderie behind Wilmot's Warehouse Kate Compton's 10,000 Bowls of Oatmeal | |||