Gaming - The Podcast

What is environmental storytelling?

January 14, 2021 05:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MB

What is environmental storytelling and what is it good for? In this week's Gaming: The Podcast we discuss, dissect and deliberate on the concept of environmental storytelling, talk through some interesting examples and how it can work to change how we respond to games. Good environmental storytelling can deeply impact our emotional response, how we see our own player characters and cause us to question our initial responses to our experiences. As such, it's an incredibly important element ...

What makes Portal so great?

January 07, 2021 05:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB

What makes Portal so great? Valve's 2007 masterpiece of a puzzle, Portal, is centre of our attentions as we break down why we believe it to be such a wonderful entry into the pantheon of gaming history and culture. We talk its narrative, its presentation, its mechanics, its ability to beautifully connect its interactions and its plot into a stunning whole that stands equal - possibly above - anything else that Valve has provided us. Enjoy! Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net...

What is the best game of 2020?

December 31, 2020 05:00 - 1 hour - 56.8 MB

What is the best game of 2020? We've got our answers and we're sticking with them. The year has been very different for the majority of us, but there have been some fantastic games to help us through a difficult period. From JRPGS and Western adventures, roguelikes to murder-everyone-without-getting-caught-em-ups and racing games to flying games, there's been a lot vying for our collective attention this year. Sit back, relax and join us as we rattle on about our favourite releases and why...

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

December 24, 2020 13:05 - 1 minute - 2.39 MB

This time of year will be very different for many, but we sincerely hope that you have a great holiday and are able to create memories that you'll look back on fondly. Normal podcast service will resume on Thursday December 31st with our New Year's Eve episode. 2021 will us releasing more podcasts for you to enjoy and it will also host the launch of 20 Double Fine Years, our enormous hardcover book covering all things Double Fine - taking you through their entire history, from Psychonauts...

Where are the Christmas games?

December 17, 2020 05:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MB

What are the best Christmas videogames? What are your favourite Christmas videogames? These are unlikely to be questions you've ever asked, let alone answered, because 'Christmas videogame' isn't really a genre that exists. However, there are Christmas movies, albums, TV shows and more. So why not Christmas videogames? In this episode of Gaming: The Podcast we discuss the lack of Christmas games and how, for example, a new Home Alone game could potentially be one of the best games of all ...

How important are character backstories?

December 10, 2020 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MB

Is it always best to give players the chance to define the backstory for their characters? Inspired by Cyberpunk 2077's 'lifepaths', John Robertson and Stace Harman dissect and discuss the design implications of giving players choices as to their characters' backgrounds. Is this attempt at providing player agency always a good thing and does it always work as intended? Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net to check out our books! If you're looking for 20 Double Fine Years, our bi...

What makes it great? Final Fantasy VII

December 03, 2020 05:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MB

Welcome to the first of our 'What makes it great?' episodes, which kicks off with a focus on Final Fantasy VII. John Robertson and Stace Harman dissect the elements that have made Final Fantasy VII such a legendary and revered part of gaming history, look at how its design has influenced so much that came after it and recount their experiences playing it upon release in 1997. Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net to check out our books! If you're looking for 20 Double Fine Years...

When is death in a game about more than dying?

November 26, 2020 05:05 - 39 minutes - 36 MB

Character death is one of the most common elements across videogames and most treat it in the same way: you lose a life or you lose some progress and are sent back to a checkpoint. This rings true for everything from Mario to the Last of Us, Gears of War to Resident Evil. Death can be so much more, however, as the recent PS5 release of Demon's Souls has again reminded us. It can be a source of contemplation and re-imagining, a new beginning and a means of real narrative intrigue. It can cha...

Tim Schafer on creativity, culture, Covid and NOT crunching

November 19, 2020 05:00 - 38 minutes - 87.6 MB

This week we sit down with Double Fine founder and industry legend Tim Schafer to talk everything from how Covid-19 restrictions have impacted work at Double Fine to what he's been playing and how he works to foster a creative approach across his studio. We're very grateful to Tim to have made the time for us, not only for this interview but across our partnership with Double Fine in creating 20 Double Fine Years. 20 Double Fine Years explores the people, culture, events and inspiration t...

Tim Schafer on creativity, culture and Covid and NOT crunching

November 19, 2020 05:00 - 38 minutes - 87.6 MB

This week we sit down with Double Fine founder and industry legend Tim Schafer to talk everything from how Covid-19 restrictions have impacted work at Double Fine to what he's been playing and how he works to foster a creative approach across his studio. We're very grateful to Tim to have made the time for us, not only for this interview but across our partnership with Double Fine in creating 20 Double Fine Years. 20 Double Fine Years explores the people, culture, events and inspiration t...

What is the best console launch game of all time?

November 12, 2020 04:00 - 46 minutes - 63.2 MB

With the arrival of the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5, all eyes are on the next-generation of games and, right now, what the new hardware is offering in terms of day one gaming. Naturally, then, we're thinking about the general quality of launch games and whether or not they are indicative of the potential quality offered by new consoles or whether they are placeholder titles designed to quench our thirst before the real deals arrive. So, this week we're asking: What is the best c...

How will the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S change gaming?

November 05, 2020 05:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MB

A new console generation is almost upon, so we discuss what it is that we'd like to see them achieve over the next 5-7 years - from the opportunities brought about thanks to their hardware to business model changes and core game design modifications. Have your own opinion? We want to hear it. Come chat to us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and tell us about the games you've loved and, for whatever reason, have decided to let go. A video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtub...

How do horror games scare us?

October 29, 2020 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MB

It's Halloween and so this week we're focused on the thrills and impact of horror games and how they work to make us feel scared. What is it about horror games that scare us? How do game developers go about tempting us to both feel fear and want to carry on playing? Come chat to us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and tell us about the games that have scared you and why. A video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indiebydesign https://www.indiebydesign.net/podcast...

What are the best games of the generation?

October 22, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 70.4 MB

With new consoles imminent, we're putting ourselves on the spot and revealing which games we think are the PS4/Xbox One generation's best. Join us, agree with us and disagree with us as look back at the past seven years of great games. Have your own opinion? We want to hear it. Come chat to us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and tell us about the games you've loved and, for whatever reason, have decided to let go. A video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indieby...

What makes Hades so good?

October 15, 2020 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB

Hades. The whole world is playing it, talking about it and podcasting about it, but what makes it so special? Is it a Game of the Year contender? Is it a new benchmark for roguelikes? Come chat to us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and tell us what you think of Hades. A video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indiebydesign https://www.indiebydesign.net/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which games do you love but wouldn't play again?

October 08, 2020 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22 MB

We all have games that we love, games we think of as amongst the best we've ever experienced. Some of the games we personally love are considered the greatest of all time, some are thought to be overrated and others are criminally underappreciated and forgotten. We all have games, too, that we love but wouldn't want to play again. This episode sees John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss which games fall into this category for them and why. Have your own opinion? We want to hear it. Come ...

Gaming: The Podcast - Trailer

September 30, 2020 19:04 - 1 minute - 1.1 MB

Welcome to Gaming, the podcast from Indie By Design. This show is, surprisingly enough, about games - with each weekly episode dedicated to delving into and answering a single question about them. Why is that game so good (or bad)? What is it about that piece of game design that works so well? Which game do you absolutely love but would never play again? Is Big Bird the original chocobo? Your hosts are John Robertson and Stace Harman - long-time game design and narrative consultants ...

IBD #23 - Games that made us (Monkey Island)

November 12, 2018 23:26 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MB

Welcome to 'Games that made us', an ongoing series within the Indie By Design podcast in which hosts Stace Harman and John Robertson explore and discuss the games that have most powerfully inspired and influenced their lives inside and outside of the traditional gaming space. In this episode John Robertson interviews Stace Harman regarding the impact that The Secret of Monkey Island has had on everything from his subsequent tastes in games to his relationship with his brother at the time. ...

IBD #22 - What is the role of a game critic?

November 05, 2018 21:17 - 57 minutes - 53 MB

What is the current state of the videogame critic and what might it be? How do audiences and critics currently relate to one another? What is the purpose of criticism itself? Is a review that acts as a buyer's guide a form of criticism or not? Stace Harman and John Robertson attempt to answer these questions and more in the 22nd episode of the Indie By Design podcast. Follow us on Twitter @IndieByDesign. Visit IndieByDesign.net for more podcasts and information on our published and upco...

IBD #21 - What makes a multiplayer game?

October 29, 2018 19:43 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MB

In terms of both quality and form, what is it that makes a multiplayer game a game worth playing and/or a multiplayer game at all? Can, for example, a single player game be a multiplayer game if you choose to consume it as a group? Stace Harman and John Robertson delve into these questions and more in this episode that focuses on the nature of multiplayer gaming. This episode includes discussion on Dungeons & Dragons and tabletop games, as well as videogames. More episodes: IndieByDes...

IBD #20 - How and why do you play games?

October 22, 2018 21:25 - 1 hour - 61.3 MB

We play games, but why and how do we play them? Compared to other mediums - such as cinema and literature - games have a wide variety of means when it comes to absorbing and consuming them and this can affect the how and why of our playing of them. In this episode Stace Harman and John Robertson discuss how they prefer to play games, why they play them at all and if/how this has changed as they've gotten older and their tastes have changed. Mentioned games include Dishonored, Firewatch, ...

IBD #19 - What's happening in Life is Strange 2: Episode 1?

October 15, 2018 20:34 - 1 hour - 84.8 MB

In this episode Stace Harman and John Robertson of Indie By Design talk about the themes, impact and direction of Dontnod's Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 and whether or not they are so far impressed with the new cast of characters and their world. ***This episode contains spoilers. It is recommended that you finish Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 before listening.*** See IndieByDesign.net for more podcasts, as well as books and other original videogame content. Twitter: @indiebydesign ...

IBD #18 - YoYo Games on GameMaker Studio, creating tools that create games

July 26, 2017 02:00 - 49 minutes - 46.2 MB

This week's IBD podcast features James Cox and Mike Dailly, general manager and head of development respectively at YoYo Games, curators of the GamerMaker Studio toolset. That makes this episode of the podcast a bit different to the norm, because while we usually speak to the people behind the games, this week we're speaking to the people behind the people behind the games. The first iteration of Gamer Maker, called Animo, was released by Mark Overmars in 1999. Since then it's gone throu...

IBD #17 - Tim Conkling on Antihero, tabletop games & video game design

July 19, 2017 14:12 - 1 hour - 60.2 MB

In this episode of the IBD podcast we talk to Tim Conkling, creator of strategy title and digital board game, Antihero. We discuss design inspiration, Steam reviews, AI programming and curiously titled locations, such as the Salty Nonce and Windy Bottom. Before all of that, however, we start with talk of games that have made the leap from the physical tabletop to the virtual one. Games such as Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Talisman, Warhammer Quest and many more besides, and to wha...

IBD #16 - Old Man's Journey and the interpretation of games with Broken Rules

July 12, 2017 02:00 - 53 minutes - 73.1 MB

In this episode we’re talking to Felix Bohatsch co-founder of Broken Rules - the studio behind Old Man’s Journey, one of 2017’s most mesmerising and engaging games. It’s also a game that asks us to look within ourselves in order to interpret the events and themes of the game. We’ll be talk about that and more with Felix. Games typically ask us to inject ourselves into them, whether that’s by simply interacting with a button in order to open a door and progress to the next area or if it's...

IBD #15 - Stoic's Alex Thomas on The Banner Saga, Killers & Thieves and Creative Pressure

July 05, 2017 05:30 - 1 hour - 64.6 MB

Alex Thomas is co-founder of development studio Stoic, the team responsible for The Banner Saga series of games. Alex has also released stealthy heist management title, Killers and Thieves, which he developed alone and published though Stoic. Here, he gives a raw account of his time developing Killers and Thieves, offering an honest assessment of his successes and failures throughout the project and highlighting what he believes have been the downsides of a low-key launch. There's also d...

IBD #14 - Steve Gaynor on Gone Home, Tacoma & games in culture

June 27, 2017 23:04 - 53 minutes - 49.9 MB

Gone Home was one of the first games upon which the term ‘walking simulator’ was bestowed, games in which you move around an environment, seeking out interactive artefacts and/or triggering audio and video logs that, together, tell a story - the interaction and player agency coming from the order and pacing through which you uncover moments of interest. Your resultant depth of understanding is determined by how far you're willing to explore both the world around you and how you decide to i...

IBD #13 - Housemarque and Mastering the Twin-Stick Shooter

June 21, 2017 04:30 - 1 hour - 59.6 MB

Housemarque is famed for its downloadable console games including Super Stardust, Dead Nation, Alienation and PS4 launch title Resogun. The veteran Finnish developer has made a name for itself crafting, precise, polished, technically accomplished and visually striking titles in publishing partnership with Sony. With its latest title, Nex Machina, launching for both PS4 and PC, Housemarque is taking its first step into self-publishing. Working in collaboration with pioneering developer Euge...

IBD Special - The Best Indie Games of E3 2017

June 14, 2017 18:01 - 55 minutes - 51 MB

In this special additional episode of the Indie By Design podcast Stace Harman and John Robertson round-up and discuss those indie games that have stuck out for them from E3 2017 and chat about the nature of E3 as a forum for such games. Games discussed include: A Way Out, Materfall, Griftlands, Nidhogg 2, Donut County, Ruiner, The Swords of Ditto, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Nex Machina, Steamworld Dig 2 and more. A video version of this episode is available via YouTube. IndieByDes...

IBD #12 - Virginia and its creators, Variable State

June 14, 2017 08:02 - 46 minutes - 44.3 MB

Is it a game, isn’t it a game – this is a question becoming increasingly popular in discussion about certain games and has certainly, for better or worse, been the central topic around which a lot of criticism of Variable State’s Virginia has revolved. We talk to the studio’s co-founder Jonathan Burroughs about his reaction to that question, whether it’s a meaningful point of enquiry, the design goals of Virginia and much more over the course of the interview coming. If you’ve ever playe...

IBD #11 - Giant Sparrow / What Remains of Edith Finch Interview

June 07, 2017 04:30 - 1 hour - 56.3 MB

Giant Sparrow and the studio's creative director Ian Dallas state that their goal is to make the world a stranger, more interesting place. With both The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch they have certainly realised that ongoing ambition. Both The Unfinished Swan and Edith Finch are games that present striking, stylishly presented visual narratives and that feature poignant tales with ample room for personal interpretation. Their highly subjective stories make for games that ...

IBD #10 - Tequila Works / Rime

May 24, 2017 04:30 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MB

Spanish studio Tequila Works is responsible for both Rime and Deadlight. These games are very different in their presentation and forms of interaction, but they share an indelible quality that has resulted in deserved acclaim for their creator. The studio is young, having only formed in 2009 as a coming together of former employees of gaming companies as diverse as Blizzard, Sony and MercurySteam. Impressively, however, it has already found a voice and given us games that are impactful and...

IBD #09 - Jason Rohrer Interview

May 17, 2017 04:30 - 1 hour - 57.1 MB

Jason Rohrer is one of the most admired and respected game designers amongst his peers. Whilst his games are typically considered too individual and challenging to garner wider commercial success across a mainstream audience, there’s no denying the influence he has on those interested in the art and design of videogames. In 2016 he became the first videogame creator to have a solo retrospective of work exhibited in a museum – with arguably his most famous release, Passage, positioned along...

IBD #08 - The Chinese Room interview

May 10, 2017 05:00 - 56 minutes - 52.6 MB

The Chinese Room was founded by husband and wife duo, Dan Pinchbeck and Jessica Curry. As writer and composer, Pinchbeck and Curry have led their studio to BAFTA wins for Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and helped define a genre with Dear Esther, a title that started life as a Source Engine mod. That latter title was in part a response to Pinchbeck’s frustration with games academia of the time, which he felt was too preoccupied with the theory of game design and not enough with the practic...

IBD #07 - Ghost Town Games Interview

May 03, 2017 05:00 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MB

Ghost Town Games has catapulted to fame following the success of its maiden release, Overcooked - winner of 2 BAFTAS. The game, which tasks players to work together to prepare, cook and serve food, has stolen the hearts of many thanks to its focus on co-ordination, co-operation and its ability to entice those that don’t usually even play games. It does all of this without muting its potential for complexity. Here we to talk Ghost Town’s co-founders and sole permanent members, Phil Duncan a...

IBD #06 - Dean Hall

April 26, 2017 06:20 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MB

For many people, Dean Hall is synonymous with 2012’s free zombie mod, DayZ, which he created for Bohemia Interactive’s ARMA 2 while serving in the armed forces. The startling popularity of that mod led to it being officially acquired by Bohemia and to Hall himself working at the Czech Republic-based development studio on the standalone version of DayZ for two years, before leaving to found his own company in his native New Zealand. RocketWerkz has since released Out of Ammo, co-developed...

IBD #05 - Freejam Games

April 19, 2017 04:30 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MB

The UK-based Freejam Games has catapulted itself to fame in recent years thanks to the success of Robocraft, a shooter in which you build your own robot and take it online to do battle with and against other creators. With player numbers in the millions and Freejam expanding from its initial handful of founders to a studio now boasting over 40 employees, the team makes for an excellent case study regarding the continued success of the UK independent games industry. Here we talk to CE...

IBD #04 - Mode 7 Games

April 12, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 55.3 MB

UK-based Mode 7 Games was founded by Paul Kilduff-Taylor and Ian Hardingham and is best known for creating top-down turn-based tactical combat titles, Frozen Synapse and Frozen Synapse 2. They’ve also applied the turn-based strategic treatment to a futuristic sports title in the form of Frozen Cortex and, before any of that, they created Determinance, a sword-fighting multiplayer title in which you fly around crossing blades and wits using one-to-one mouse movements to drive combat. In a...

IBD #03 - Roll7

April 05, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MB

UK studio Roll7 is best known for Not A Hero and its OlliOlli series, but the three-man team has been involved in the creation of games for many more years than its number of high-profile releases indicate. Directed by Simon Bennett, Tom Hegarty and John Ribbins, Roll7 has worked with the UK government on educating young people in game design, worked on advertising projects with large brands and dabbled in the creation of games based around brain-interface technology. Here we talk to Jo...

IBD #02 - Introversion Software

March 29, 2017 11:02 - 56 minutes - 52.5 MB

Introversion Software was founded in 2001 by three friends not long out of university. Together, Chris Delay, Mark Morris and Tom Arundel pooled their varied skill sets and talents to help fuel the creative process and to enter a competition to write a business plan, the grand prize for which was £10,000. It was to prove a pivotal moment in the fledgling company’s history. While they didn’t win the competition, it did enable the founding members to begin to establish the creative and manag...

IBD #01 - Devolver Digital

March 22, 2017 16:53 - 1 hour - 55.4 MB

Devolver describes itself a purveyor of entertainment created by independent artists from around the world. Some of its best known game releases include Hotline Miami, the Serious Sam series, Not A Hero and Luftrausers, with developers such as Dennaton, Croteam, Roll7 and Vlambeer counted as amongst its game development partners. Devolver's founders had previously started Gathering of Developers, a publisher fuelled by the idea of creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem between independen...

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