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Game Dev Advice: The Game Developer's Podcast

The HP Video Game Podcast Network - John JP Podlasek

🎙️ Game Dev Advice is hosted by 30+ year game industry veteran John “JP” Podlasek, who interviews game designers, programmers, producers, artists, writers, arcade owners, CEOs, and more. Hear insider stories, practical tips, and real-world advice from across the gaming industry.

Whether you're an aspiring developer or a longtime veteran, you’ll find valuable insights, career guidance, and behind-the-scenes stories—sometimes funny, always honest.

👉 Subscribe now and visit GameDevAdvice.com for more.

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20 episodes
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Avg 1 hr 10 min
English

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#78
August 20 · 1 hr 24 min
Stop Waiting for Perfect, Start Shipping Games | Frank Force
Frank Force joins us to talk about how game developers can ship faster, learn better, and avoid getting trapped by perfectionism. He shares lessons from AAA development at studios like Volition, Midway Games, and others including milestone pressure, polish, crunch, and speedrun-style bug hunting on PsiOps. He also breaks down his current push to release Pyroot, a C++/DirectX Metroidvania he started 6–7 years ago, on Steam Early Access. The conversation dives into why Frank believes browser-based development, JavaScript, game jams, and sharing work early can be powerful ways to build skills and a portfolio. He challenges the idea that web development can't produce “real” games and explains why low-friction tools can make it easier to experiment, iterate, and actually finish projects. Frank also gets into sizecoding and creative programming through JS1K, JS13K and Dwitter, the origins and growth of his open-source LittleJS game engine, procedural audio with ZZFX, and the mindset of removing rather than adding. Plus, he shares how AI is already helping game developers find bugs, prototype ideas, and give small teams more leverage, while also discussing his concerns about sunk-cost thinking, exploitative player psychology, and where the industry may be heading. Topics include: • Breaking into game development • Building a portfolio • Shipping games instead of endlessly polishing • JavaScript and browser-based game development • AAA development lessons • Indie game development • Game jams and rapid iteration • Sizecoding, JS1K, JS13K and Dwitter • LittleJS and open-source development • Procedural audio and ZZFX • AI tools for game developers • Going indie full time ━━━━━━ TIMESTAMPS ━━━━━━ 00:00 - Career Advice Myth 00:36 - Meet Frank Force 00:56 - Pyroot Early Access 02:53 - AAA Lessons and Crunch 05:12 - Speedrunning for QA 05:43 - JavaScript Game Dev 09:02 - Ship Fast Share Early 12:03 - Advance Inside Studios 14:36 - Breaking In and Portfolios 18:03 - Sunk Cost Trap 19:27 - AI for Game Development 34:33 - Industry Concerns and Hope 38:57 - Size Coding JS1K 41:44 - Recreational Programming 41:57 - Code Golf vs Sizecoding 43:24 - Demo Scene Culture 44:31 - JavaScript Sizecoding Shift 45:26 - Procedural Assets Challenge 46:13 - Remove Not Add Mindset 48:05 - JS13K Sweet Spot 51:27 - Dwitter Raycasting Magic 54:23 - LittleJS Origin Story 57:10 - Open Source Community Growth 58:47 - Driven Wild and Self Promotion 01:00:48 - ZZFX Sound Without Assets 01:03:03 - Optical Illusion Breakthrough 01:06:25 - Make Stuff and Share It 01:09:11 - Going Indie Full Time 01:13:18 - Generative Art NFT Detour 01:17:12 - Monetizing Web Games 01:20:15 - Advice and AI Tools 01:22:47 - Final Thanks ━━━━━━━━━ ABOUT THE GUEST ━━━━━━━━━ Frank Force has been building real-time interactive software for over 25 years, from AAA titles like DOOM and Red Faction: Guerrilla to LittleJS, his open source game engine with over 4,000 stars on GitHub. He runs Frank Force Games in Austin, Texas, where he works on engines, graphics, games, and tools, and writes an unreasonable number of very tiny programs. ━━━━━━━━━ LINKS & RESOURCES ━━━━━━━━━ https://frankforce.com/ - Frank's website with links to projects and longform writeups https://killedbyapixel.itch.io/dr1v3n-wild - Frank's arcade driving game (started as a 13k game) https://killedbyapixel.github.io/LittleJSArcade/ - 50+ open source games made with LittleJS https://cosmodial.3d2k.com/ - Cosmodial is Frank's newly released open source star atlas https://js13kgames.com/ - JS13k games the 13k size JavaScript coding competition ━━━━━━━━━ GAME DEV ADVICE ━━━━━━━━━ Whether you're a student, aspiring game developer, or industry veteran, you'll find practical takeaways and real stories from inside the world of game development. 👉 Subscribe: / @gamedevadvice 👉 Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NChfUV... & https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 👉 Patreon / Career Coaching: / gamedevadvice 👉 Hotline: (224) 484-7733 👉 Email: info@gamedevadvice.com 👉 Website: www.gamedevadvice.com 👉 Watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/bUrujIj-Mok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 25 · 1 hr 9 min
Game Dev Career Advice, Starting a Studio & AI in 2026 | Rushdown Studios
Kirk Becker and Hunter Fortuin of Rushdown Studios join JP for a wide-ranging conversation on breaking into games, advancing your career, building a co-dev studio, AI's real impact, and what 2026 looks like from inside the industry. KEY TOPICS • Breaking into the games industry in 2026 • The "brag book" strategy for career advancement • Networking, portfolios, and increasing your surface area of luck • Co-development studio culture and ownership mindset • AI in game dev: what's real, what's hype, and what to do about it • Why NOT hiring junior talent due to AI is a long-term danger • UEFN, Roblox, Godot, and the new wave of accessible game development tools • Sustainable game development vs. big-budget gambles TIMESTAMPS 0:30 — Introductions & where in the world are you? 0:39 — Current roles at Rushdown Studios 1:17 — What early career work taught Hunter the most 2:24 — Career advice that turned out to be wrong 10:41 — Mistakes game devs make when trying to advance their career 24:32 — AI: Why every game dev needs to learn to leverage it now 24:47 — What's overhyped vs. what AI actually does well 26:03 — JP's take: using AI every day & the retired engineer who wakes up excited to build 28:22 — When did joining/starting Rushdown feel like the right move? 39:44 — The most dangerous sentence in game development 40:28 — How Rushdown protects team health & sustainability 46:42 — Hard lessons learned from managing and leading teams 49:58 — What concerns you most about the games industry in 2026? 53:52 — AI: The real risk — will executives use it to stop hiring junior talent? 55:57 — AI: "It's like having an intern with a PhD in everything" — Kirk's take 57:02 — AI in practice: yelling at a computer & the Simpsons meme moment 58:26 — A game dev renaissance? Why AI + small teams = reason to be optimistic 1:03:45 — Funniest early career mistake (Kirk's League of Legends potato mode story) 1:05:35 — Final advice: build relationships before you need them + go try AI tools yourself ABOUT THE GUESTS Hunter Fortuin has worked in games for over a decade and has worn a lot of hats, though his specialty is in online multiplayer games. Having worked in co-development for all of his time in the industry he's gotten to see the good, the bad, and the ugly across many different studios. He's currently acting as Technical Director at Rushdown Studios where he works to support indie, AA, and AAA titles. Kirk Becker is the Studio Director and Co-Founder of Rushdown Studios, a U.S.-based co-development studio focused on multiplayer games. He co-founded Rushdown in 2021 alongside fellow industry veterans after years of programming together on games like PUBG, League of Legends, and more. He leads the studio based in Saratoga Springs, NY. LINKS & RESOURCES Rushdown Studios: https://www.rushdownstudios.com UEFN / Fortnite Creative: https://www.fortnite.com/developer Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: https://www.expedition33.com Godot Engine: https://www.godotengine.org Claude AI: https://www.claude.ai Look North World: https://www.looknorth.world Amir Satvat: https://www.asgc.gg FOLLOW GAME DEV ADVICE Website: www.gamedevadvice.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice Hotline: (224) 484-7733 Email: info@gamedevadvice.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 3, 2025 · 48 min
Starting an Indie Studio, Getting a Publisher, and Shipping the RPG Indie Hit Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson with Jeff Linville, Ritual Studios
In this episode, Jeff Linville — co-founder of Ritual Studios — returns to Game Dev Advice to talk about the journey behind his band-inspired RPG Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson. From starting a studio with college friends to launching worldwide with French publisher Playdigious, Jeff shares the hard-won lessons of taking the leap into full-time indie development. We go into what it really takes to form a studio, ship a first game, and survive the chaos between passion and business reality. Topics We Cover • Founding Ritual Studios after meeting at Columbia College Chicago • How Fretless mixes music, RPG, and deck-building mechanics • The moment they quit their jobs to “really do it” and chase a publishing deal • Lessons learned about funding, taxes, lawyers, and running a real company • Building a standout pitch deck and landing a deal with Playdigious in France • Managing bugs, Steam feedback, and localization into seven languages • Outsourcing art and engineering — and why it’s harder than it sounds • Choosing FMOD over Wwise for advanced Unity audio integration • Why getting your game playable early is key • How Cardio Ex shaped Jeff’s music-driven sound design • Thoughts on AI tools in audio, from noise cleanup to creative limits • Favorite soundtracks: Hyper Light Drifter and Guild Wars 1 • Current go-to games: Pillars of Eternity and Lord of the Rings Online • Reflections on Mortal Kombat, Midway Games, and player nostalgia • Advice for anyone going indie: “Be ready for it — it’s a business.” 🎥 Making-Of Documentary Making a Musical Indie Game from Scratch (30 min): https://youtu.be/3USobO6qRHE?si=aEhUEI0dwQbMqki2 🎮 Play / Follow • Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson (Steam): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2429050/Fretless__The_Wrath_of_Riffson/ • Ritual Studios (Bluesky): https://bsky.app/profile/ritualstudios.bsky.social • Ritual Studios (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/ritualgamestudios/?hl=en • Fretless Original Soundtrack (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/album/1VXVxtFzJOUYJypudcF9DN? • Jeff Linville @Dovetail (Linktr.ee): https://linktr.ee/dovetailmusic • Rob Scallon (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/RobScallon • Playdigious (Bluesky): https://bsky.app/profile/playdigious.bsky.social Bio Jeff Linville is Co-Founder of Ritual Studios, a Chicago-based indie studio that published their acclaimed debut, Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson, in July 2025. With 8+ years in game audio and production, Jeff has worked on Fretless, Cardio Ex, and more. 🕹️ Game Dev Advice Whether you’re a student, aspiring dev, or industry veteran, you’ll find practical takeaways and stories from inside game development. Start Here • Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvkY8LxjGyOPqlQKuRlObhg • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5NChfUVhFxV9NCoUVp4uD0 • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/game-dev-advice-the-game-developers-podcast/id1450096263 • Patreon (Gain Wisdom coaching): https://www.patreon.com/gamedevadvice • Hotline: (224) 484-7733 • Email: info@gamedevadvice.com • Website: https://www.gamedevadvice.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
#75
Aug 29, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min
From Disney’s “Where’s My Water?” to Solo Indie Dev Success: How Creativity and Persistence Built a Game Career, with Tim “Walaber” FitzRandolph
In this episode, we dive deep into Tim’s creative journey behind Disney’s hit mobile game Where’s My Water? and what it really takes to break into and succeed in the game industry. From starting out in QA testing to leading creative teams at Disney, and later becoming a successful solo indie developer, Tim’s conversation is packed with insights, stories, and advice for anyone passionate about making games.
#74
Jun 27, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Laughs, Games & Career Turns: Mike Drucker’s Path from SNL, Nintendo to Tonight Show and New Memoir
In this episode of Game Dev Advice, writer and comedian Mike Drucker shares his journey across the worlds of television, video games, and comedy. Starting as an assistant and researcher at Saturday Night Live, Mike moved into game localization at Nintendo—where he even played basketball with Reggie Fils-Aimé—before joining The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a writer and then Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He dives into the creative challenges of translating humor across mediums, from cra
#73
May 4, 2025 · 50 min
Stuart Maine on 28 Years in Game Development: Starting a Studio, Building Great Teams, Career Advice & Lessons for Aspiring Devs & His New Books
Veteran game designer Stuart Maine reflects on 28 years in the industry, from his start at a cyber café to leading roles at studios like Bullfrog, Acclaim, and Two Desperados. He shares lessons on team dynamics, communication, and career growth, plus insights from his books: Designing Video Games and two titles on first-person shooter history. The interview covers the highs and lows of game development, remote work challenges, and advice for aspiring developers.
#72
Mar 3, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Building a Successful Indie Studio with No Industry Experience, Betting on Steam, Game Jams, Finishing Crashlands 2, Recording 500+ Podcasts, Stacking the Dice, and Storefront Featuring—Adam Coster, CEO of Butterscotch Shenanigans
Adam Coster, CEO of Butterscotch Shenanigans, shares his journey of growing an indie studio with his brothers, overcoming challenges, and redefining their mission after a family crisis. He discusses their upcoming game Crashlands 2, the evolving industry, and the impact of subscription services. Adam also offers insights on balancing roles, indie dev realities, and AI’s potential in game development, providing actionable advice for aspiring creators.
#71
Feb 4, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Navigating Game Industry Challenges, Job Hunting After a Layoff, the Rise of Consulting Firms, Celebrity Stories, and Starting a New Company—Adam Boyes, Founder of Vivrato
In this episode, industry veteran Adam Boyes discusses the complexities of the video games industry, from the challenges of sustaining AAA games to navigating market dynamics and the impact of large-scale layoffs. He shares insights from his journey founding Vivrato and highlights the importance of innovation and thoughtful leadership. The conversation also covers practical advice for aspiring game developers and industry professionals, emphasizing the need for strategic thinking and resilienc
#70
Dec 18, 2024 · 52 min
Starting a Studio, Thriving Post-Layoff, Working at Epic Games, the Rise of UGC, Hiring Is Broken, Street Fighter: The Movie, Empathy, and Building Games for Fortnite with CEO Alan Noon of Drill Creative, Inc.
In this episode, I caught up with Alan Noon, founder and CEO of Drill Creative, Inc., to discuss his journey from decades in the game industry to launching his own studio. Alan shared how his work on UEFN at Epic Games, including shipping Deserted Domination and the big GDC reveal, plus his desire to return to hands-on game creation. After a layoff, he quickly turned the setback into an opportunity, forming Drill Creative to build games within Fortnite’s ecosystem using UEFN’s powerful tools for
#69
Nov 21, 2024 · 2 hr 3 min
Working at Valve, Finding Mentors, Reinventing Yourself, Collecting Pinball, Grit, Nolan Bushnell, Working Under Pressure, Silicon Valley, The Enthusiasm Advantage, and Ham Radio with CEO Jeri Ellsworth of Tilt Five
Jeri Ellsworth shares her inspiring journey from a childhood fascination with technology to becoming the CEO of Tilt Five. She reflects on her early love of science, fueled by a Commodore 64, her unique path through racing and fabrication, and her ventures in computer stores. Jeri recounts moving to Silicon Valley, working on groundbreaking projects, leading R&D at Valve, and ultimately founding Tilt Five to pioneer multiplayer AR experiences. Along the way, she highlights the challenges of star
#68
Oct 5, 2024 · 1 hr 5 min
Starting a Studio, Don’t Give Up, Self Publishing, Being a CEO, and the Gold Rush ‘90s with Brad Hendricks of Blind Squirrel Entertainment
In this episode, I speak with Brad Hendricks, CEO and Founder of Blind Squirrel Entertainment. Brad talks about his path from working with new game technologies to starting his own company after his previous job at Gamebryo ended. He shares how he and his team landed their first project with 2K Games, kickstarting their game development journey before even having a company name :) Brad then reflects on the ups and downs of being a CEO, stressing the need for flexibility and constant learning. We
#67
Sep 4, 2024 · 1 hr 2 min
Navigating a Layoff, Importance of Networking, Working at PlayStation, Resumes and Portfolios, Mental Health, The Rise of Indies, Building a Brand, and Accepting Change with Alex Gombos
In this episode, I speak with Alex Gombos, a seasoned talent acquisition manager who shares her insights and career journey in the gaming industry. Most recently, she supported the game development studios at PlayStation. Alex highlights the importance of networking, building an online presence, and being proactive in pursuing career goals, whether you're aiming for your first job or looking to level up in your career. She also emphasizes the significance of having a clear, accessible portfolio
#66
Jul 10, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min
Starting a Game Company, Underserved Developers, New Opportunities, Finding a Publisher, Industry Sustainability, Networking, Navigating Change, MDEV, Being Authentic, and Skee-Ball with Ben Kvalo of Midwest Games
In this episode, I speak with Ben Kvalo, the Founder and CEO of Midwest Games. Discover how Midwest Games focuses on supporting underserved developers in overlooked regions, aiming for a more sustainable industry, and learn about the upcoming MDEV conference. Ben shares his journey into the game industry, starting with his transition from radio to an operations coordinator role at 2K. Hear his thoughts on the importance of persistence, patience, and leveraging transferable skills when breaking i
#65
Jun 10, 2024 · 1 hr 32 min
Creating ANIMAL WELL, Building a Game Engine, Finding Opportunities, Indie Games, Dunkey, Going to DePaul, Having Patience, Publisher BIGMODE, Disdain for Midjourney Assets and Crow Country with Billy Basso of Animal Well
In this episode, I spoke with Billy Basso, the sole developer behind the hit indie game ANIMAL WELL. Discover how he began working on the game as an after-work hobby seven years ago, and his vision for creating a lush, 2D Metroidvania experience where players explore underground caves, solve puzzles, and encounter creatures with minimal guidance. Billy shares his game development journey, highlighting the initial challenges in both developing and marketing the game. Learn how he initially relied
#64
May 2, 2024 · 1 hr 18 min
Working on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Artist Turned Designer, Serious Games to Triple A, NASA, Learning to Lead, Player Reaction Videos, Communication Skills, and the Designer’s Journey with Roxanne Splitt of Insomniac Games
In this episode, I spoke with Roxanne Splitt, Associate Design Director at Insomniac Games. Hear their experiences and insights from working on various game projects, including collaborations with NASA and acclaimed games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Roxanne reflects on the educational and emotionally significant aspects of working on the NASA project, learning from experts and tackling challenges related to space and human physiology. Hear discussion about the significance of an amazing Metacrit
#63
Mar 25, 2024 · 1 hr 39 min
Recruiters Talk Hiring, Job Strategies, Plan B, Call of Duty, Networking, ATSs, The Industry Layoff Trend, Resume Tips, and LinkedIn’s Value with Keith Plesha of Krafton
In this episode, I spoke with Keith Plesha, Sr. Recruiter with Krafton Americas who offers valuable insights from his recruiting career. He emphasizes the significance of networking, continuous learning, and staying on top of industry trends for career success. Topics such as interpersonal skills, mentorship, and the impact of remote work on hiring are also discussed. The conversation transitions into challenges faced by current (and aspiring) game developers, including layoffs and the effects o
#62
Feb 2, 2024 · 58 min
Working on Jedi Starfighter, Portfolios, DirectX’s Mission, Embracing AI, the Neuroscience of Play, Empathy, the Industry’s Next Growth Market, and Helping Ukraine with Founder and CEO Sam Glassenberg of Level Ex
In this episode, I spoke with Sam Glassenberg, Founder and CEO of Level Ex, as we dive into subjects encompassing the gaming industry, technology, and healthcare. Sam recounts his unexpected journey into gaming, beginning as an animator at LucasArts and eventually helping lead Microsoft’s DirectX Graphics team. We then transition to discussing the critical importance of having a portfolio for job seekers, the interesting challenges of working in Tech Art, the foundational value of solid engineer
#61
Jan 8, 2024 · 48 min
Starting Bungie, UEFN, Teamwork, Making Halo, AI Concerns, Portfolios, UGC, Game Industry Optimism, Diversity, Building EQ, and the Fourth Curtain Podcast with founder and CEO Alex Seropian of Look North World
I welcome Alex Seropian, founder and CEO of Look North World on this episode kicking off the 5th (wow, 5th) year of the podcast. Hear as Alex shares insights about his current role, including hosting The Fourth Curtain podcast and his new studio, Look North World. Learn about the growing significance of user-generated content (UGC) in the gaming industry and the potential for UGC to become a major part of the industry in the coming years. Alex also reflects on his journey in the game industry,
#60
Oct 16, 2023 · 49 min
From Improv to the Game Industry, Charting Your Path, Being Flexible, Consolidation Concerns, Working with Clients, Future Tech, the M+DEV Conference, and Taking Care of Yourself with Jennifer Javornik of Filament Games
I welcome Jennifer Javornik, the Chief Partnerships Officer at Filament Games on this 60th episode. Learn about her current role, the company’s connection with UW Madison, and how she transitioned from a traditional IT role into the game industry. Hear about being in improv comedy, learning to be less formal, and how the industry embraces being yourself. We then share advice about starting out, having content to show, testing, and being able to hit the ground running. Hear about the intricacie
#59
Sep 6, 2023 · 1 hr 19 min
Video Games Cause Violence Fallacy, Find Your Why, Indie Development, Mental Health Crisis, Neuroplasticity, Forgiveness Matters, VR Deep Dive, Creator Keys, Robotics and More with Ryan Douglas of DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern
I welcome Ryan Douglas, the Co-Founder at DeepWell DTx, NeuFluent / Founder, Nextern to this episode. Learn how DeepWell DTx is working to meld medical professionals, scientists, and game developers to create mental health digital therapeutics through play and neuroscience. Hear about the power of gaming to improve mental health, citing games like Tetris and Animal Crossing that have shown mental health benefits. Ryan then shares the value of creating experiences that make players feel better

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