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Explore every episode of the podcast Up Up Down Down

Dive into the complete episode list for Up Up Down Down. 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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1–48 of 48

TitlePub. DateDuration
48. We Made a Game23 Jan 202001:32:14

Malin Sundberg joins us to discuss Two Spies, the new turn-based iOS spy strategy we’ve made, along with its UI, Swift as a game development language, and the pros and cons of shipping a game as a side project.

47. You Suck at Micro18 Jun 201601:04:27

Soren Johnson joins us to discuss making strategy games. We discuss his new game Offworld Trading Company, touch on his work on the Civilization series, and the challenges of balance. Afterward, we express our early bewilderment at Overwatch.

38. The Bullet Spongiest Bullet Sponge06 Mar 201501:19:52

Michael “Rands” Lopp joins us to talk Destiny. We briefly discuss its budget and profitability before digging in to the question of why, despite its problems, it’s a fun game. We dissect the Crucible PvP mode, matchmaking, the story or lack thereof, leveling, and bullet sponges. Afterwards, we fail at going off topic and talk about the expansion, raiding, voice acting, and the surprisingly clever UI.

37. Early Access Without Any Access06 Feb 201501:24:34

John Walker, co-director and editor of Rock, Paper, Shotgun, joins us to discuss the state of PC gaming. We talk Early Access, Kickstarter, preorders, and the many pitfalls therein. We dig in to the profitability of PC ports, dismiss various kinds of football, dissect the longevity of old-school games, and try to guess the fate of Oculus. Afterward, we discuss terrible Early Access games, terrible hilarious games, and Allen’s latest terrible game idea.

36. Scintillating Amazon Javelins of the Whale22 Jan 201501:02:53

Noel Berry, developer of the upcoming procedural platformer Skytorn, joins us to discuss procedural content in games. We talk about Skytorn and how its levels are built, and discuss many other indie games with procedural levels, from Minecraft to Don’t Starve. We dig in to what kinds of games generated content works for and what kinds it doesn’t, and how to model Paris with only a few hundred artists.

35. We're Made of Bells and Whistles06 Jan 201501:08:05

Maya Kramer, indie game marketing extraordinaire, joins us to talk PR and marketing. We discuss conferences and expos, getting the word out about indie games, the story of Towerfall, and how games filter up from the noise to journalists and platforms. Afterwards, we talk PSN outages, getting killed by dragons, and dystopian nudity.

34. Watching someone else play Minecraft12 Dec 201401:22:47

John Moltz, co-author of The Visual Guide to Minecraft, joins us to discuss the weird and wonderful world of Minecraft. We discuss why kids are obsessed it, managing servers, mods, Java, and trolling. Bonus: Nigel does a special interview with three further subject experts - his kids.

33. Being a Good Citizen on the Platform28 Nov 201401:07:24

Matt Comi of Big Bucket joins us to discuss developing games on Apple platforms. We talk about Matt and Neven Mrgan’s new game Space Age, porting games written for iOS and the Mac, Swift and Objective-C as languages for game development, and building the game engine and level editor for Space Age. Afterwards, we talk about a couple of the recent game industry travesties.

32. Perfect Combination of Quality and Quantity24 Nov 201401:21:48

This week Federico Viticci joins us to talk digital distribution. We discuss about Nintendo’s attempts to court indie developers compared to Sony and Microsoft’s, the programs that make cross-plaftorm development plausible for indies, the various digital download platforms both on the consoles and the App Store, curation on the App Store and Steam, the effects of discounting on games.

31. I Want to Kinda Annoy People15 Nov 201400:53:52

Desert Golfing’s Justin Smith joins us from an alien spaceship to discuss reward in games, or a lack thereof. We talk about the world’s reception to his game Desert Golfing, and game design tools like high scores, story progression, leveling up, and sparkles. We also touch on Justin’s games No Brakes Valet and Enviro-Bear 2000, and the inherent reward you get from watching an indie developer you love succeed.

30. Talking About Caragors30 Oct 201401:06:55

Isometric’s Georgia Dow joins us to discuss good and bad enemy AI. After an important word on Gamergate, we dig in to the sophisticated AI of Pac-Man. We go in depth on Shadows of Mordor and its Nemesis System, and the AI in various other games, stealth and otherwise. Allen complains about bad RPG AI, Nigel tells us of bad car AI, and Georgia gives us some very crucial information about pandas.

29. Shakespeares Were Five Acts23 Oct 201401:22:28

Ryan Payton, in the midst of shipping Episode 3 of the critically acclaimed République, joins us to discuss episodic games. We start with a diversion into the challenge of supporting slower and older devices, then talk Season’s Passes, approaches to releasing game episodes, Telltale Games, and then go more in depth on République. Afterward, we talk about Destiny, Shadows of Mordor, console sales numbers, and buy some games on PSN.

46. Goofy as Heck06 Mar 201601:21:16

Serenity Caldwell joins us to discuss the Apple TV as a gaming platform. We talk about what games we’ve tried so far, the weaknesses of the Siri Remote, and what kind of games could be great on Apple TV. We discuss runner games, party games, and gams that are purposely bad. Afterwards we talk about Star Wars, since this episode was recorded in December when that was the cool thing to do.

28. 400,000 Boar-killing Bots18 Oct 201401:18:24

Kristen Bornemann, Development Director of the critically acclaimed MMO Guild Wars 2, joins us to talk scaling MMOs and other games. We talk about smooth and rocky launches, the death of “realms”, and Guild Wars 2’s novel business model. We also discuss hackers, shipping bi-weekly updates, and Blizzard’s Titan. We finish on a dark and stormy note.

27. A Tiny Game That You Can Play Forever03 Oct 201401:14:26

Asher Vollmer, creator of Threes and Close Castles, joins us to talk puzzle games. We discuss the process of designing developing Threes, and what goes in to making a great little puzzle game. We then talk about the whimsical minimalism that works so well in indie games, and how to bring them to life. We talk about difficulty, complexity, and how to tune games. We touch on the effects of free to play on puzzle games, and how it makes us feel weird. Afterwards, we talk Wii U games, Divinity: Original Sin, trying to get our RPG fix, and Manwiches.

26. Final_Final_REAL_FINAL_v5.wav23 Sep 201401:11:47

Matthew Marteinsson, audio designer at Klei Entertainment, joins us to discuss sound design in games. We talk about the various techniques Matt used in Klei’s recent game Don’t Stave, from bees to gobblers. We discuss recording sound effects, what makes great sound design, what makes bad sound design, and some of what makes voice acting a pain. We also touch on Destiny, and get a little epic.

25. So Unreal is Just Amazing05 Sep 201401:32:21

Martiancraft’s Jeff LaMarche joins us to discuss 3D game engines. We discuss the core features of a game engine, what Unity brings to the table, and why it has become so popular for indie games like Martiancraft’s Republic Sniper. Then we dig in to Unreal, Jeff’s team’s switch to it from Unity, and what makes it so wonderfully fantastic.

24. Walking with a Voiceover15 Aug 201401:14:10

Daniel Cook of Spry Fox joins us to discuss content-focused and system-focused game design. We talk about the rise of narrative games like Gone Home and Journey, and contrast them to system-centric games that offer deeper gameplay, at the expense of greater risk to game developers. We talk about how these forces have affected Spry Fox’s games, and dig in to their latest, Road Not Taken.

23. How Not to Doom Yourself08 Aug 201401:06:39

Curtis Lassam joins us to discuss the great failures in video games. We kick things off with Jurassic Park: Trespasser, then learn about Curtis’ Three Rules to Not Doom Yourself. We follow the rocky career of Tim Schafer, then Nigel tells us all about Daikatana. Afterwards, we bat around a bad idea for a video game, and talk couch co-op games.

22. Games Are Things Made By People18 Jul 201401:09:41

Adam “Atomic” Saltsman joins us to discuss collaboration and sustanability in the world of indie games.

We talk about Adam’s new venture Finji Games, and collaborating with fans, from early access to Earliest Access. We fondly remember Canabalt, remember that critical hits aren’t always commercial hits, and discuss how contracting fills the gaps between projects. We finish by discussing the intense competitive pressure in the indie market, and the daunting task of building a 3D game.

21. A Complete Tub of Crap18 Jul 201401:38:41

Guy English returns this week to discuss 3D graphics APIs, so hold on to your butts.

We start with the origins of the GPU, and recount the evolution of graphics APIs. We dig in to what a modern GPU actually does, and then discuss Apple’s new graphics API, Metal. Guy and Nigel reminisce about just how horrible programming for the PlayStation 2 was, we talk latency, and finally Guy explores his relationship with Riddler trophies.

20. That's Not My Shepard12 Jul 201401:30:50

Brianna Wu and Amanda Warner of Giant Spacekat Games join us to talk about narrative in games. We talk about our favourite storylines, the development of Giant Spacekat’s imminent game Revolution 60, Unreal Engine, hand-crafted animations, and some initial thoughts on the final build of Revolution 60.

19. They Shipped It Anyway04 Jul 201401:05:04

Philippe Casgrain of NSNorth and formerly of Transgaming joins us to discuss porting games. We discuss the technologies behind virtualizing games on the Mac, ports gone bad, and the effects of consoles on the PC versions of games. Then, we talk a bit about Wii U games and Hearthstone.

45. How the Hell to Make Firewatch19 Feb 201601:17:27

Campo Santo’s Nels Anderson joins us to discuss making narrative games, and in particular, Campo Santo’s new hit game Firewatch. Waving the spoilers flag high, we dig in to what makes Firewatch tick, the crazy world of branching narrative, tricky aspects of making the game, flapjacks, and the horrors of first-person character models. Afterward, we talk about weird bugs, The Witness, and 1988.

18. There Are No Rules27 Jun 201400:59:19

Toca Boca’s Amanda Rösler joins us to discuss making great games for kids. We talk about why Toca Boca’s apps are more like toys than they are games, games for kids on the App Store, the pitfalls of making games for kids, and tea parties. Later, we talk about co-op games we’re looking forward to playing.

17. The Main Character is a Serial Killer!20 Jun 201401:06:33

iMore’s Peter Cohen joins us to discuss morality in video games, and what it means to play dictators, serial killers, and just plain jerks. We determine whether or not this makes us bad people, and whether or not it’s going to traumatize our kids. Finally, we discuss the futility of going to E3.

16. The Looney Tunes School of Stealth13 Jun 201401:12:06

Justin Voss of Low Earth Orbit joins us to talk stealth games. We discuss the origin of stealth games, instant failure, and the joy of finding alternative ways to complete a mission. Then, we rag on Metal Gear Solid and salivate over E3 announcements.

15. Being a Bad Spider-Man30 May 201401:18:50

Scott Stevenson of Low Earth Orbit joins us to talk open world games. We discuss side quests, railroading, and trying to tell a story when the player can ruin everything. As usual, we end with a diversion into games we’re excited about, and some peculiar Kickstarters.

14. The Red LEDs Were Cheaper23 May 201401:17:37

Ars Technica’s Kyle Orland joins us to discuss the great failures in game consoles. We talk about our favourite doomed consoles, the story of Sega’s downfall, and Nintendo’s journey through the desert with the Wii U.

13. A QWOP Sort of Humour16 May 201401:05:32

Developer and humourist Curtis Lassam joins us to discuss humour in games. We discuss comically hard games, sandboxes as a vehicle for comedy, what makes it hard to write a funny game, and a goat.

12. First Person Shooter Monkey Island09 May 201401:04:51

Neven Mrgan, designer of wonderful apps and games, joins us to discuss retro games. We discuss his upcoming game Space Age, the challenges of pixel art, and Neven’s previous games The Incident and Blackbar.

11. Secret Alien Technology02 May 201401:11:04

Myke Hurley, world-renowned podcaster, joins us to discuss portable consoles, the future of the PS Vita, and the iPhone as a portable game console.

10. Nobody Has Gold Stars25 Apr 201401:08:57

Grace “GTZ” of Fat, Ugly, or Slutty joins us to discuss jerks on Xbox Live, getting people to play nice together, and hellbanning.

9. Getting Bored of Clicking On Cows18 Apr 201401:27:51

Angelina Fabbro of Mozilla joins us to discuss games on the web, why the hell people are still using C++, and business models for web-based games. After that, we jump in to games we’re playing on the iPad, what’s wrong with MMOs, and how Pokémon will never die.

44. You're Buying a Child23 Jan 201601:10:36

Chris Bourassa, Creative Director of Red Hook Games, joins us to talk about their hit new game Darkest Dungeon. We talk fairness, difficulty, early access, and corpses. Then we dig in to Chris’ art direction, including the look and feel of the characters, and the tools and processes he uses to create the game’s distinctive art. Afterward, we talk about some of the games we’ve been playing, stealth, and magic whales.

8. Architecture and Forgiveness11 Apr 201401:26:52

Monument Valley’s Ken Wong joins us to discuss games as art, Monument Valley, and the business of crafting meaningful games.

7. Criticizing Water For Being Wet04 Apr 201401:28:45

Scott Stevenson of Low Earth Orbit joins us to discuss game reviews, game-breaking bugs, and what’s wrong with Lara Croft getting impaled.

6. My Whole Colony Filled Up With Cabbage28 Mar 201401:14:45

Gaslamp Games’ David Baumgart joins us to discuss Clockwork Empires, simulations, and pickled fungi.

5. You Die Instantly21 Mar 201401:14:42

Tyson Kallberg joins us to discuss why games are getting easier, what makes us want to ragequit, and death by checkpoint.

4. It Shipped And It Was Fast14 Mar 201401:33:56

Guy English and Nigel tell tales of the hacks that make games work, from fast inverse square root to assembly shenanigans. Allen tries to keep things understandable for non-programmers, and fails spectacularly.

3. Three Quarters of Half-Life One07 Mar 201401:10:52

Patrick Gibson joins us to discuss games that are too long, side quests, tearing up, and flapping.

2. A Perfect Storm of Crummy Business Decisions28 Feb 201401:09:37

Parveen Kaler joins us to discuss sequels, plastic guitars, and the unfair advantage of being Batman.

1. Container of Monetary Units21 Feb 201401:11:44

Matt Kump joins us to discuss In App Purchase, what horrible things it’s done to the games we love, and what we can learn from Party Poker.

43. What the Heck?15 Nov 201501:08:38

Tiff Arment joins us to discuss the ups and downs of survival games. We dig in to stark and frozen landscape of The Long Dark, the dark whimsy of Don’t Starve, and Minecraft’s role in kickstarting the whole genre. Afterwards, we discuss Prison Architect, the hardest difficulty in The Last of Us, Goat Simulator, and podcast microphones.

42. Flood Their Cities With Poop Water29 Oct 201501:00:53

Karoliina Korppoo, Lead Designer on Cities Skylines, joins us to discuss simulation games. We discuss the challenges of simulations, making traffic work, cruise ships on land, focusing on fun, and poop water. Afterwards, we discuss the new expansion After Dark, Diablo, and the glory of single-player games.

41. Let Me Pick Three Colors12 Oct 201501:01:47

Firewatch’s 3D Artist Jane Ng joins us to disuss 3D art in indie games. We talk about some of the remarkable ways Campo Santo has made Firewatch look beautiful and distinctive. We discuss procedural sky generation, stylistic fog systems, and general challenges with making art for games with small teams. Afterwards, we talk Dragon Age Inquisition, Mario Maker, and avoiding playing Destiny.

40. The Les Miserables Barricade28 Sep 201501:34:39

We’re back for Season 2!

Game designer Bobby Ross joins us to talk level design. We talk about the process of designing levels, lighting technology in 3D games, how to create balaced PvP, invisible walls, and other challenges of level design. Afterwards, we talk about what we liked at PAX.

39. Strumming the Strum Button27 Mar 201501:24:24

Isometric’s Steve Lubitz joins us to talk rhythm games. We start with the strange origins of rhythm games on the PlayStation in the 1990s and the craze of DDR. We dig in to the rise of plastic instruments, the joy of getting good at Rock Band, and the Great Plastic Crash of 2009. We touch on dance and karaoke games, and finish on what it takes for 3D to impress John Carmack.

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