Roundtable

  • 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
 
  • 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
 
  • 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
 
  • Lessons from Tears of the Kingdom
  • Fall Damage
#308

Your nice hosts recorded separately again this week, as Mark has been isolating at home. Stephen rants about examines fall damage mechanics in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and other games.

2023.06.11
 
  • Stephen's "Rule of Threes"
  • The Psychology of Animation
#304

In this episode, Stephen points out the number three! It’s everywhere! Also, what is it about animation that captures our minds and imaginations so effectively? Your hosts explore the topic and share some ideas.

2023.05.14
 
  • Endings
  • Lusory Attitude
#302

Your nice hosts explore the finality and the lusory this week with these two topics. In the process, Stephen struggles with a simple concept, Mark gets to 82% completion and Ellen figures out a way to blow up a transition.

2023.04.26
 
  • CSS
  • Skill Trees
#298

Dale learned a lot while editing this episode.

2023.04.13
 
  • Secrets & Easter Eggs
  • Player Trust
#296

In this episode, Mark makes up a reason to take a road trip, Ellen outwits everyone, and Stephen was also there.

2023.03.16
 
  • Visual Composition
  • Minigames
#294

This week, your nice hosts talk about last week and next week. Mark wants you to frame things, Stephen wants a definition, and Ellen wants you to start a fight with her on Discord.

2023.03.02
 
  • Save Data
  • Interdisciplinary Communication
#289

The clubhouse comes together this week to realize the danger and fear surrounding Save Data. Mark talks about the advantages of Json and xml, then immediately tells why he choose neither of them for his project.

2022.11.30
 
  • Branding & Iconography
  • The Ethics of Engagement
#284

It's spooky season! Stephen is SO over it, but he can't escape all the scary stuff happening in this week's episode.

2022.10.28
 
  • Pre-production
  • Idle Games
#282

Your nice hosts start off strong with an excellently performed intro, and it just gets better from there! 

2022.10.13
 
  • Keeping a Game Design Journal
  • Bringing Other Media into Games
#280

In this slightly-longer-than-normal episode, we start with a pandemic check-in. (Bivalent boosters are available! Go get 'em!) Ellen leads us on a journaling journey, sharing the embarrassing evidence of past attempts.

2022.09.30
 
  • Verisimilitude
  • Indie Game Credits
#278

Your nice hosts' pronunciation is on point this week as they say a really hard word a large number of times!

2022.09.14