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Game Maker's Notebook

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

A game dev podcast featuring in-depth conversations between video game makers on the business and craft of interactive entertainment.

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 hr 28 min
English

Episodes 21

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Monday · 1 hr 36 min
Slay the Spire 2 and Building the Deckbuilder Genre with Mega Crit's Casey Yano
Karrie Shao chats with Mega Crit Games Co-Founder Casey Yano. Together they discuss developing the Slay the Spire series which helped kick off the deckbuilder genre; design pillars and an emphasis on clear information; how streamers picking it up lead to its meteoric rise; what they added to the formula in Slay the Spire II and how they implemented coop; how they parse feedback; and what happened when they upset a large portion of their Chinese audience. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Karrie Shao Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
August 10 · 1 hr 11 min
Actor Judy Alice Lee on Hades II's 12,000+ Lines of Dialogue
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Judy Alice Lee. Together they discuss how she began her career as a recording engineer before finding herself inside the acting booth; how game accents differ from real life; her fears on overexposure; landing the role of Melinoë in Hades II and its 12,000+ lines of dialogue; and her tips as a remote actor for the perfect home recording studio. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
July 27 · 1 hr 12 min
Yacht Club Games' Sean Velasco on Mina the Hollower, Scope Creep, and What's Next
Trent Kusters chats with Yacht Club Games' Founder Sean Velasco. Together they discuss Yacht Club's follow up to the Shovel Knight series, Mina the Hollower including what they wanted to do differently from their previous titles; working within the Game Boy Color aesthetic and how that affects game design; the dangers of scope creep and importance of guiding principles; balancing combat complexity; and what's next for their studio. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
July 20 · 1 hr 25 min
How 007 First Light Adds to the James Bond Legacy with Hakan Abrak
Trent Kusters chats with Hakan Abrak, CEO & Co-Owner of IO Interactive. Hakan is also the Game Director on IOI's take on the Bond legacy with 007 First Light. Together they discuss how IOI met with MGM and the Ian Fleming estate to first pitch the project; the responsibilities they felt to stay true to the Bond IP; balancing dialogue and humor and how that differs from film to games; the casting process of finding a new Bond; and what they learned from the Hitman series that informed the design of a 007 experience. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
July 13 · 1 hr 28 min
Following Up Disco Elysium with ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies with Studio Head Allen Murray
Adam Orth chats Allen Murray, Studio Head of ZA/UM Studio and Head of Production on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. Together they discuss the legacy of the studio and the pressure of following up a beloved debut in Disco Elysium; the deliberate choices they made around the setting and themes; how they implemented over 700,000 words of dialogue; making every decision and moment impactful to avoid ludonarrative dissonance; and balancing their creative vision while deescalating risk. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
July 6 · 1 hr 44 min
Subverting Expectations in Titanium Court with AP Thomson
Trent Kusters chats with AP Thomson, creator of the surreal strategy-puzzle game, Titanium Court. Together they discuss his path into games and meeting his long time collaborator Jenny Jiao Hsia; working together on the award winning Consume Me; the development of Titanium Court including creating modular systems for faster development; creating the narrative and his advice on becoming a better writer; winning back to back Seumas McNally Grand Prizes; and subverting player expectations to create engaging experiences. *Editors Note - 40:30: The book AP references here is 'Game Feel' by Steve Swink (he was mistaken about Katherine Isbister co-authoring it, although she is in the acknowledgements). This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
June 29 · 1 hr 24 min
How Replaced Explores the Relationship Between Technology and the Human Condition
Adam Orth chats with Igor Gritsy and Yura Zhoanovich of Sad Cat Studios about their 2.5D cinematic action-platformer, Replaced. Together they discuss developing the story as an exploration between technology and it's relationship with the human condition; designing combat that fits a cinematic platformer; environment as a character; creating a soundtrack that is bleak yet hopeful; and the difficulty in balancing artistic and business decisions. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
June 22 · 1 hr 41 min
Jake Birkett on Forbidden Solitaire, Casual Games, and Surviving Gamedev for 11 Years Without a Hit
Trent Kusters chats with Jake Birkett of Grey Alien Games. Together they discuss how he worked together with Night Signal Entertainment on their card-slashing "horror" collaboration, Forbidden Solitaire; the importance of managing scope with small teams; how to properly understand Steam user engagement; and his GDC talk How to Survive in Gamedev for Eleven Years Without a Hit through the scope of the current development landscape. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
June 15 · 1 hr 8 min
Dosa Divas' Chandana Ekanayake Talks Food, Music, and Indie Development
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Chandana Ekanayake of Outerloop Games. Together they discuss developing his newest game Dosa Divas, including the origin of the narrative and using food as a storytelling device; weaving together story with combat; the importance of the introductory hour of gameplay; his views on risk and team size; and his thoughts on working in indie development. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
June 8 · 1 hr 22 min
How People of Note Explores Heavy Subjects with Whimsy and Musical Theater
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Jason WIshnov, CEO of Iridium Studios, about their newest title, People of Note. Together they discuss where the initial design concepts originated from; the difficulty of finding a publisher before landing with Annapurna; friction between narrative and game design; writing from personal experience and balancing that with whimsy; and how they integrated music into the battle system. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
June 1 · 1 hr 45 min
Housemarque's Gregory Louden on Saros, Narrative and Game Design
Trent Kusters chats with Gregory Louden, Creative Director behind Housemarque's latest dark sci-fi bullet-ballet, Saros. Together they discuss his early work in film with directors such as Alfonso Cuarón and Ridley Scott; transitioning into games and his path from VFX, to narrative, and ultimately direction; creating a spiritual successor to Returnal while developing a brand new IP; focusing on challenging but rewarding gameplay; and building a narrative around the roguelike gameplay. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
May 25 · 1 hr 34 min
Mewgenics: From Flash Games to Cat Armies with Edmund McMillen & Tyler Glaiel
Trent Kusters chats with Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, creators of the hit cat-army tactical roguelite, Mewgenics. Together they discuss their history creating games during the boom of the flash and Xbox Live era including titles such as Aether, The Binding of Isaac, and The End is Nigh; writing from personal experiences; lessons learned from self-publishing; and the development of their newest collaboration in Mewgenics. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
May 18 · 1 hr 15 min
MOUSE: P.I. For Hire - Creating a Rubber Hose Noir Detective Story
Adam Orth chats with Mateusz Michalak (CEO & Co-Founder) & Mateusz Lechowski (Narrative Director) from Fumi Games about their studio debut title, Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Together they discuss the origins of the studio being based around animation with no game dev experience; the inspirations and development of Mouse: P.I. For Hire; developing the rubber-hose animation and it's importance to the setting; how the black and white art style made it difficult to find a publisher; the pre-World War II setting and parallels to modern conflicts; and balancing the serious and comedic elements within the narrative. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
May 11 · 58 min
How Mixtape Tells a Coming of Age Story via Music with Johnny Galvatron
Adam Orth chats with musician and game developer Johnny Galvatron. Together they discuss his newly released coming of age story told through music, Mixtape including the origins of the idea; how they selected the music first and built the story around the soundtrack; building a "horizontal slice" rather than a "vertical slice"; how they selected each track and their significance to the narrative; and creating the cast of characters and their unique mechanics. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
May 4 · 1 hr 32 min
Re-release: Bioshock Creator Ken Levine on Judas, Writing and Narrative in Games
We're on a release break for new episodes, so here's one our past great chats from Oct, 9 2023! Adam Orth chats with Ken Levine, the legendary creator behind the Bioshock series and the upcoming Judas. Together they discuss Ken's journey into game writing; using art as a healthy outlet for processing uncomfortable subjects; dealing with the pressure of following up the first Bioshock game due to its massive success and popularity; how to tackle complex narratives and concepts aimed at general audiences; his thoughts on AI; and how to avoid falling into the trap of arrogance. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
April 27 · 1 hr 19 min
Re-release: Before Your Eyes with Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes
We're on a release break for new episodes, so here's one our past great chats from May 16, 2022! Corey May speaks with the Oliver Lewin and Graham Parkes, two of the developers behind Before Your Eyes. Together they discuss how they created the blinking mechanic in game jams; the process of "learning by doing and learning by failing"; the technical and narrative challenges that arose from the game's central mechanic; and their experience releasing their first title to wide acclaim including winning a BAFTA. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Corey May Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
April 20 · 2 hr 32 min
Re-release: The History of Dwarf Fortress with Zach and Tarn Adams
We're on a quick release break for new episodes, so here's one our past conversations from Mar 27, 2023 with Tarn Adams and Zach Adams, brothers who together created Dwarf Fortress! Trent chats with the brothers about their 20 year journey in creating the aforementioned title including the early inspirations that led them to learn programming; the games they developed before Dwarf Fortress; crucial creative and community milestones; working together with Kitfox Games on the updated version for Steam; and their favorite stories from their ever growing community. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
April 13 · 1 hr 18 min
The Sounds of ARC Raiders with Audio Director Bence Pajor
Austin Wintory chats with Bence Pajor, the Audio Director behind Embark Studios' smash hit extraction shooter, Arc Raiders. Together they discuss his early career in music and how he transitioned to audio design; his work at DICE on the Battlefield series; the moral implications when designing realistic audio experiences for combat simulations; balancing music to not break player immersion; and creating modern synth music with retro aesthetics. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Austin Wintory Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
April 6 · 1 hr 19 min
Jenny Jiao Hsia Shares The Story Of Her Life In CONSUME ME
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Jenny Jiao Hsia, co-director of Consume Me. Together they discuss where Jenny first got the idea to tell a semi-autobiographical story through video games; learning to not micromanage and lean on your team; how personal finances restrict or enable creativity; the dangers of social media and need for external validation; and the importance of having interests outside of games to help with creative and personal fulfillment. This episode is supported by Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
March 30 · 1 hr 17 min
Arc Raiders Design Director Virgil Watkins
Adam Orth chats with Virgil Watkins, the design director behind Embark Studios' smash hit extraction shooter, Arc Raiders. Together they discuss his early passion in modding and how it led to him joining Embark Studios as a Technical Designer on the initial PVE version of Arc Raiders; how internal testing shaped the system design and core experience of the PvPvE version; the ways they're seeking to improve the game post-launch; and how they balance handcrafted experiences with randomness in the deadly Arc encounters. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla iam8bit Accelbyte Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

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