It's a gamedev podcast!

 
The show where nice gamedevs Ellen Burns-Johnson, Mark LaCroix, and Stephen McGregor (with friends and guests) talk gaming and game development!

Much Ado About Unity (with Freya Holmér)
#324

Earlier today, Unity issued an update to their controversial "runtime fee" policy introduced last week. What changed? What didn't? How could this have even happened? What does it mean going forward? Can we ever trust Unity again?

2023.09.22
 
with Julia Keren-Detar
#322

We continue the recent production talks this week as we welcome Julia Keren-Detar into the clubhouse! The discussion topic is "working on a bigger team" but we also somehow talk about rain water barrels at some point?

2023.09.14
 
Nice Games Jam
#321

It's been a while but your nice hosts come up with a game in roughly an hour, this one for the cat owners out there! After a fairly long meta, we get into the mind of a cat and design a competitive game for them to play.

2023.09.07
 
  • Grind
  • Emphasizing Uniqueness
#320

This week, Stephen and Ellen catch up with Mark about his (and Dale's) trip to GenCon. There is a happy minor Glom update, and then it's down to business. What's grind? What purpose does it serve, and what are the mechanics of it?

2023.09.02
 
with Rick Stemm
#319

In this episode your nice hosts welcome Rick Stemm of PikPok to the clubhouse to talk about what happens after a game gets greenlit.

2023.08.24
 
  • Cheating, Part 3
  • Putting the Real World in Games
#318

We return to the topic of cheating for the third (and final, maybe?) time this week!

2023.08.17
 
with Frani Esquenazi
#317

Your nice hosts get called to the boss' office to interview Frani Esquenazi, who is Stephen's actual boss at Future Club. Frani discusses servant leadership, getting your "C" legs, and not having all the answers.

2023.08.10
 
Cheating, Part 2
#316

In the second installment of your nice hosts' discussion about cheating in games, we talk about the nature of cheating in contemporary video games: what it looks like, what factors shape it, and how worried we gamedevs should be about it

2023.08.04
 
with Anna C Webster
#315

In this episode your nice hosts chat with Anna C. Webster lead writer on The Foglands, and her cat Montezuma.

2023.07.28
 
  • Player Motivations
  • Copying Others
#314

After a fairly self-indulgent meta, your nice hosts eventually get into the nitty-gritty of both Player Motivation and Copying Others. Listen after the outro to hear a plethora of fun horse names!

2023.07.20
 
with Quinn K
#313

Quinn K joins the clubhouse to break down their IGF-nominated game "An Outcry." Your nice hosts learn about choosing your own limitations, the Haunted PS1 scene, and how much playtesting is still not enough playtesting.

2023.07.13
 
  • Finding Help
  • Companion Characters
#312

In this week's roundtable, Ellen needs help with ALL the things. Stephen and Mark offer advice on where to find people who can help, and discuss some of the hidden challenges of expanding one's team.

2023.07.08
 
The State of "Dogpile!"
#311

(Some of) your nice hosts went to Origins Game Fair last week! Aside from taking in the show and learning more about the world of board games, they were there to attend the launch of their card game Glom.

2023.06.29
 
  • Licensing
  • Cheating, Part 1
#310

Your nice hosts return to form with a roundtable recorded together for the first time in a while!

2023.06.21
 
Nice Thinking
#309

After Mark's time with COVID, the first day he was free to go outside, the area was covered with the smoke of distant wildfires. Another bout of smoke has rolled in to the Twin Cities just in time for the release of this episode.

2023.06.15