Episode 85: The Nobility of De-escalation

Alex Damrath, founder of Braindeer Games, joins us once again to talk about a proverbial bounty of topics, including being a Interactive Design and Game Development student at the Savannah […]

Alex Damrath, founder of Braindeer Games, joins us once again to talk about a proverbial bounty of topics, including being a Interactive Design and Game Development student at the Savannah College of Art and Design as well as the response to his Ludum Dare 38 game, Miskro.

With the announcement of Far Cry 5, we discuss the differences in design philosophies between Far Cry 2, 3, and 4, and since the new sequel claims to tell a politically-relevant, thought-provoking, and emotionally-engaging story, we use the game to discuss narrative’s place in AAA, how subject matter research can only bring you so far in crafting a story, moving beyond superficiality in your game, and sacrificing some gameplay to prevent ludonarrative dissonance.

We also talk about Dylan finally getting the chance to play PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Paul McCartney starring in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the fast-paced world of Ethereum trading.

Games include Tabletop Simluator, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Overwatch, Strafe, Risk: Global Domination, RunGunJumpGun, Timebomb, Gunbrick, Disney Crossy Road, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.