Game Dev Podcast - The RisingHigh Extended Tea Break - Game Development Advice for Game Developers
30 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsGame Dev Podcast hosted by Team RisingHigh, a 13 Time Apple Featured Indie Game Studio. Kevin & Jilly discuss everything game development and game making topics. Covering all aspects of creating, designing and marketing mobile and indie games. Actionable, practical Game Dev info squirted up your ears every week, you just bring the biscuits.
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Episodes
Spotlight: Chris Trudeau Interview: Voodoo Games Signing & Publishing Deal - An App Store Success Story
October 16, 2018 00:01 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBToday I sit down with Academy Member Chris Trudeau of Boston Trudeau Studios, who landed himself a Voodoo publishing deal with his latest game title Twenty48 Solitaire, so huge congrats to Chris, super excited at such an awesome success story. Download: Twenty48 Solitaire In our conversation, we discuss how Chris made the leap from being a professional finish carpenter, dabbling with selling print on demand t-shirts from his 2 Etsy shops as a side hustle, to stumbling across Buil...
027: Podcast Hiatus - New Game Building Focus, Schedule Paused & Time Management Dilemmas.
August 07, 2018 11:57 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBAfter our Academy Anniversary month of July, we took some time for a lot of soul searching about what is next on the agenda for us as a Indie Game Studio and the company in general. The fact is, it has been way too many months since the production of our last game, and this has long been an itch that badly needs scratching! We love doing the podcast and it’s been a lot of fun, but it has surprised us at just how long a process it is. We’ve come to the difficult decision to take a short...
026: Hyper Casual Games - Mobile Publishers, Game Retention and the Domination of Hyper Casual Mobile Games.
July 31, 2018 00:05 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBHyper Casual games are dominating the App Store Top Charts. In early in 2017, we saw the rise of Hyper-Casual games going main stream with publishers like Voodoo.io leading the way with their smash hit paper.io. These usually lightweight games, consisting of nothing much more than an addictive core loop on launch, are typically a few steps ahead of a MVP ( minimal viable product ) or prototype. Pushed heavily via social media campaigns ( Snapchat / Instagram / Facebook ) publishers can a...
025: Buildbox 3 - Time for New Games in Buildbox 3D - The K.I.S.S Mobile Game Developer Rule.
July 24, 2018 00:05 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBTo finish up our devlog style episodes for this month, we look ahead to what we’ll be working on for the 2nd half of 2018. With the imminent release of Buildbox 3 ( Beta ) in the coming weeks, we're super pumped to get back into our favourite game creation software and take a look at the next generation of Buildbox. Whilst of course it’s very exciting to have new tools to play with and finally get to play around in 3D, it’s also worth remembering that the Arcade Style Hyper Casual games ...
024: Time Off Apparently - Making Time for R & R, Accountants and Really Bad Quick Maths.
July 17, 2018 00:05 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBMore of a general chit chat this week as we’re on holiday, or at least we were supposed to be. Following an impromptu decision to take some time out as I was approaching burnout, it soon became apparent that our schedule was completely shot and there was no podcast ready, oops. We made a commitment to show up each and every week, and not wanting to break our run so far, we came in, sat down and recorded. As a small business owner, there’s never enough time in the day and th...
023: One Year In - Running an Indie Game Studio and Game Dev Training Academy
July 10, 2018 00:05 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBAs July marks the one year Anniversary of our Game Dev Training Academy, we decided it would be nice to sit down and have a chat about our journey so far, and revisit the reasons behind why we decided to set up the Rising High Academy. Website: RisingHighAcademy.com We truly do appreciate you taking time out of your day to listen and hope you got some value. If you enjoyed today’s show, it would go such along way if you hit that Subscribe button. We’d also be forever grateful...
022: Behind the Scenes - Reasons why as Game Developers, you should revisit your old games.
July 03, 2018 00:05 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBFor all you seasoned game developers out there, when September time rolls around and Apple releases new devices and iOS versions, more often than not we need to update something to ensure our old games still work correctly. Whilst this can be a pain the you know what, it can actually be turned into a positive, and a time to revisit our old games, breathe some life back into them and bring them up to date. Visit us for the Full Show Notes & Links to all the Resources: Website: Risin...
021: Design Constraints - Why designing under constraints will make you a better game designer.
June 26, 2018 00:01 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBWorking under constraints, especially in a creative field, can be a challenging but highly effective way to build up your inventiveness. Often when starting out a project, setting some kind of constraint can force you into action and get your brain thinking in a different way. For instance, it’s time to start a new game project. “Let’s now build a game.” You’re at your workspace.. Cool… erm… yeah… so… yeah… erm… Now, let’s imagine you put some constraints on the project: ...
020: Websites and Press Kits - As Game Developers, is it Essential to have a Website & Press Kit for your Mobile Games?
June 19, 2018 00:05 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBWe had an interesting question come in this week from Podcast listener Stuart, so we decided to have a chat about just how essential having a website and press kit is for your games. Stuart says: “I’m half way through building my game and I’m starting to have a think about marketing. Do I need a website and press kit for my game and is it something worth doing anyway?” Great question! We answer this and more... Visit us for the Full Show Notes & Links to all the Resources...
019: App Store Research - 3 Reasons Why Researching the App Store is Critical for Mobile Indie Game Developers.
June 12, 2018 00:05 - 27 minutes - 19 MBBrowsing around on the App Store has been part of our daily routine pretty much ever since we first started building our games. The App Store is the playground we play in, and thus it’s super important to keep a keen eye on the market. With the Store refreshing each Thursday, it’s always a bit of a buzz to have a good look around at just who the movers and shakers are, and what’s working right now. Visit us for the Full Show Notes & Links to all the Resources: Website: RisingHighAcad...
018: Motivation - 5 Hacks for Game Developers to Stay Motivated When Developing Games
June 05, 2018 00:05 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBThis week we discuss our Top 5 hacks to ensure you stay motivated during your game development cycle. Keeping energised and focussed is critical to meeting those deadlines, however loose they may actually be. We all struggle with motivation from time to time, it's inevitable, however you can definitely influence your own motivation if you can actually figure out what you want, set and commit to your goals and try and push through those difficult phases. Visit us for the Full Show Not...
017: Game Success - As a Game Developer, how do you define success for your Indie Mobile Game?
May 29, 2018 00:05 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBDefining success for any mobile game can come in many forms. You may be just starting out in the business, and, by the very fact that you have built a game and released it on the App Store, can be in of itself defined as a great success. Visit us for the Full Show Notes & Links to all the Resources: Website: RisingHighAcademy.com We truly do appreciate you taking time out of your day to listen and hope you got some value. If you enjoyed today’s show, it would go such along wa...
016: Finish Your Damn Game - 5 Common Developer Pitfalls that can stop you getting to Launch Day.
May 22, 2018 00:05 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBAs game developers, shipping your finished game, whether you’re a hobbyist or part of a professional studio team, the goal you should always be heading for is to finish. We all know that at times, life just gets in the way, but there are a certain number of pitfalls you can fall into very easily, and often unknowingly, and this can hinder you releasing your game and often stop dead your project dead in its tracks. Visit us for the Full Show Notes & Links to all the Resources: Webs...
015: Game Polish – The 5 Major Aspects of Game Polishing All Game Developers Should Pay Attention To.
May 15, 2018 00:05 - 47 minutes - 32.5 MBSo what exactly is game polish? It’s all in the details, details, details. It’s all about mastering the art of fine tuning and learning to be slightly obsessive. Mix this with a sprinkle of OCD thrown in for good measure and you’re on your way to becoming a polishing Jedi. The truth is, polishing your game could in theory go on forever, and the urge to tweak details over and over can seriously impact on you actually releasing your game. So, as game designers / game developers, just when do...
014: Game Monetisation - Our Best 5 Ways to Make Money with Games and the best way to Monetise Your Mobile Game.
May 08, 2018 00:05 - 42 minutes - 29 MBSo you’ve built your game, spent countless hours crafting each and every pixel, polished it to the end degree and now you’re ready to launch it to the world! But, just how are you going to make money from your brand new mobile game? You should be thinking about monetising your mobile game from the moment you start to build, and this can have a big effect on how you actually end up constructing your projects. As game designers and builders, it would be absolutely fantastic to serve up our g...
013: Icon Design - 6 Golden Rules & Principles for Effective Game Icon Design that Every Game Developer Should Know.
May 01, 2018 00:30 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MBYour icon is arguably one of your most important assets when it comes to your App Store presence. It is usually the first opportunity to impress potential customers and therefore makes it critical to your overall branding. When speaking about icons, there is without a doubt some best practices that should not be ignored. Often when we think of icon design, less is usually more. However, the icons main purpose is to fully encompass and capture the very essence of your game. Ideally, thi...
012: Fun In Games - 5 Factors of Fun you’ll find in Every Game You’ll Play and Game Developers Need to Know
April 24, 2018 01:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBDefining Fun is certainly and tricky one for sure. What is fun for me, could quite possibly not be particularly fun for you. So how do we define fun when it comes to Game Development and in our games? Rather than thinking of the word "Fun" in the traditional sense, we should be thinking about our Games as being an experience, to which fun is an aspect. For instance, let's say we have built a Horror themed game where there's spooky moments, creepy music and scare jumps a plenty. Whilst...
011: Mood Boards - 5 Reasons why creating mood boards are an essential starting point for game development.
April 17, 2018 00:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBCreating a Mood Board is an essential starting point when you're starting out on any new game / project. What is a Mood Board? Simply put, a Mood Board is a collection of images that you find inspirational, aspirational and aesthetically pleasing all collated into 1 central document that you can refer back to throughout your game development. Using keywords or phrases into google images, other search engines are available, start to cherry pick images that you like the look of, like the...
010: Screenshots - 10 Tips and Tricks for Creating Killer Converting App Store Screenshots.
April 10, 2018 00:00 - 39 minutes - 27.1 MBWith just a few precious seconds to grab players attention, your screenshots need to pack a punch and convince them to hit that get button. As the old adage goes, " A picture is worth a thousand words" and for your App Store screenshots, this is most certainly true. This week we discuss how to create enticing, informative and exciting screenshots so you can master the art of how to fully show off your games potential. Our Top 10 best practices for designing your killer visuals will guide y...
009: Mobile Game Publishers - 5 reasons why your goal should be to sign a mobile publishing deal with the first 10 games you build.
April 03, 2018 09:39 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBThis week we discuss the plans and goals any Indie Game Developer should follow when making games for the mobile platforms. Be it the Apple App Store, GooglePlay or Amazon, our advice is always the same whether you're an absolute beginner or have been making games for a while, head for that Publishing Deal. There's a multitude of benefits for teaming up with an established mobile game publisher when launching your titles, the most arguably is traffic. Without a solid User Acquisition ( UA ...
008: Game Trailers - 7 reasons why every Game Developer should add a preview video to your Appstore page – and the one reason you probably shouldn’t.
March 27, 2018 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBIn today's show, we answered Podcast listener Brad's question on should we add a Game Trailer to our Appstore product page. With this in mind, we put together our Top 7 reasons for adding an App Preview on the Appstore and the 1 reason why you shouldn't. Generally speaking, adding a game trailer, or App Preview Video, to your Appstore Store pages is a positive move. Although screenshots allow you to showcase your games best moments, there's really no substitute for seeing the game in action ...
007: Surprise and Wonder - 10 ways Game Developers can add Surprise and Wonder to your games.
March 20, 2018 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.1 MBIn this episode, we compiled our Top 10 ways to add Surprise and Wonder moments into your games to create emotional reactions from your players. We all want our players to fall in love with our games, but what elements are you actually creating within your game to delight them? Are you making them smile? Are you making them jump out of their skin? Are you creating instances of "Wow?". Here's our Top 10 key elements you can think about implementing to really hook them in and secure your games...
Spotlight: Trey Smith Interview – Buildbox Founder with 65 Million Downloads.
March 13, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 52.3 MBIn this special Spotlight episode, Kevin sits down with Buildbox CEO and Founder, Trey Smith. Trey began his game building journey back in 2011 with the launch of Kolo’s Journey where he met and hired now Buildbox CTO Nik Rudenko. This was the beginning of the hugely popular Game Building company that is now Buildbox, along with a wildly successful Mobile Gaming business which has now amassed well over 65 Million downloads. Securing multiple publishing deals with the Giant Publisher Ketc...
006: Developer Mistakes - Top 16 mistakes that most new Game Devs make and how to avoid them..
March 06, 2018 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBIn this episode, we compiled our Top 16 mistakes that we see many new game developers make when first starting out. We break down each part we identified and discuss what to look out for and how avoid these common game development pitfalls when you’re learning how to build, design and structure your games. Highlights, Quick Wins & Takeaways: Cloning existing games way too closely Buying stock and mix and matching artwork / styles Making your game too big & too complicated ...
005: Game Naming - How to come up with the perfect name for your next Indie Mobile Game.
February 27, 2018 10:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBNaming your game can be super tricky! Coming up with that all encompassing killer title can waste hours and have you scratching your head trying to settle on that perfect branding. This episode covers the importance of coming up with a name that truly reflects the nature and tone of your game. Your game title should completely set your potential players expectations before they even download it, and how a mismatch here can lead to disappointment. Using some online tools to aid in your resear...
004: Game Design - Tips, Tricks & Ideas for Game Developers to create Awesome Game & Level Design and Overcoming creative block.
February 20, 2018 10:00 - 23 minutes - 15.8 MBWhat happens when you’re all out of ideas when designing levels in your game? I’ve done the platform that moves left to right, I’ve done the platform going up and down, now what can I do? What can I do to overcome my creative block? In this episode, we sit down and go through some of our techniques, along with some resources that we use to pull from when the creative juices just aren’t flowing. Using a combination of all these tactics should mean you’ll never get stuck again. Highlights, Qui...
003: Game Building - How long does it take to develop and make a mobile indie game?
February 13, 2018 10:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBHow long is a piece of string when it comes to figuring out how much time you need to put aside to make, develop and actually ship your new indie game? In this episode, we reveal our process for setting internal deadlines and timescales when we start to make one of our "snackable" casual mobile games. It will always depend on the overall size and scope of the game you're building, which is something to consider in the very early planning stages, and can really influence the overall games con...
002: Game Graphics - What style to Choose, Where to buy game art packs & the 4 pillars of style for Indie Mobile Game Developers.
January 29, 2018 15:15 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBYour game needs graphics, well yeah, go figure! But what style do you choose for your game and what happens if you're no digital Picasso? In this episode, we chat about ensuring the art direction of your game matches the mood and feel correctly. Where to go online if you're looking to purchase game art, backgrounds and game packs. What are the 4 most tried and tested art styles that consistently get featured by Apple in "New Game We Love" and why if you choose one of these, you're more likel...
001: Game Prototyping - Effective Prototyping Tips & why as Game Dev's you should be documenting your process.
January 28, 2018 13:52 - 29 minutes - 20 MBHow do you start prototyping your fresh new game idea. Having that awesome vision in your head is all well and good, but you need to start making it a reality, it needs to come alive! We discuss all the ways that we set about prototyping our games and, although probably somewhat unconventional, why we want to get this stage moving as fast as possible. Almost exclusively starting with our trusty pencils and sketchbooks, we try and roughly draw something iconic from our minds eye, be it a gene...
000: Game Ideas - Podcast Introduction, Finding Inspiration and coming up with new game ideas.
January 27, 2018 17:03 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBSo you want to make a game, but what sort of game should you make and how do you come up with new game ideas? In this our pilot episode of the podcast, we answer this, by far the most common question we get asked. After a brief introduction of who we are here at RisingHigh, we dive straight in and start breaking down how we go about getting our new game ideas, where we draw inspiration from and our roundabout process on how our concepts come to life. It's a very organic process, but through ...