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Pretentious Game Ideas

The monthly game design podcast that you haven't been waiting for! Join us as we discuss, explore, and get out of our depths in a new game design topic every episode.
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Dec 9, 2020

We're back with a very special episode, as co-host Ryan Anderson walks us through their design methodology for the combat in Wintermoor Tactics Club.  We break down how Ryan intentionally approached Wintermoor so that it would introduce new players to turn-based strategy games, and we use those same lessons to analyze how Fall Guys, One Night Werewolf, and Good Sudoku function as introductions to their own genres.

 

Wintermoor Tactics Club is out now on PC, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. 

Jan 1, 2020

It's the end of the 2010s, and the gang is looking back to try and make sense of what just happened. Join us for a jaunt down memory lane that is almost as insightful as it is exhausting. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be amazed at how many games we're still playing today came out over a decade ago.

Happy new year, and here's to another decade of great games.

Aug 5, 2019

We're super excited to be joined by Alex Beachum, creative director of Outer Wilds, the time-looping space exploration game that won the Independent Game Festival's grand prize back when it was still a student project.

Together we explore the story of the game's seven year development cycle before diving deep into how Alex and the team at Mobius Digital created a mystery game that spans an entire solar system. How did they make sure that players would be motivated to investigate each separate plot thread? How did they prevent players from ever feeling lost or directionless? How did they do all of this without ever placing a map marker or opening a quest log? You'll have to listen to found out!

Apr 15, 2019

We're back with a new interview episode! Special guest Casey Yano drops by to discuss the experience of developing his hit game Slay the Spire using early access development, in which a game is made available for play and purchase while it is still being actively built by the developer.

Together we explore how to recognize if early access is right for your project, what value it can create for you as a developer, how to convince your players to pay for an unfinished game, and strategies for avoiding the dreaded scope creep.

Dec 30, 2018

How do you turn an idea into a game, and how do you make sure that game maintains the spirit of that idea as you develop it? We're joined by Meat Boy level design mavenTowerFall world champion, and all-round charmer Kyle Pulver to solve these problems once and for all! Along the way, we discuss the value of applying constraints to your design, how to define your game by 'pivoting' through your design space, and how making a game is kind of like navigating a canoe. Or blowing up a flour mill. If you like strained metaphors, this is definitely the episode for you.

Nov 22, 2018

It's been a little while since we got everyone together in front of the mic, so we're taking it easy this episode to catch up and talk about some games we've been playing!

 

Rob's been exploring Fantasy Flight's line of Arkham Horror tabletop games, Jon's got lost in Hollow Knight, and Ryan took a relaxing vacation in Super Mario Odyssey.

 

Join us as we talk through what we like and dislike about each of these games... except Super Mario Odyssey. There's basically nothing bad we can say about that game.

May 22, 2018

How do you make games that feel competitive for players of all skill levels, while still feeling fair to the players with the most experience? Catch-up mechanics!

Joseph Chen joins us to chat through different kinds of catch-up mechanics, how overpowered catch-up mechanics can take over your game, and that dark cousin of the catch-up mechanic: the runaway leader.

Mar 30, 2018

How do you open your game with a bang, hold the player's attention through hours of gameplay, and wrap things up in a way that feels satisfying and complete? We sure the heck don't know, but special guest Nina Freeman (Cibele, Tacoma, how do you Do it?) does!

In this episode, we discuss game introductions, how difficulty progression and story can both drive player engagement, the value of vignette-style storytelling, the way that sports tell stories, and whether games even need endings, plus lots more incisive and indecisive discussion about your favorite games!

 

Mar 5, 2018

More is always better, right? Wrong!

We're joined by games critic and all-around smart egg John Brindle to discuss his Waypoint article analyzing Frank Lantz's brilliant clicker game Universal Paperclips. Along the way, we cover why simple games are often the most impactful, how to make sure your game says what you want it to say, and the dangers of including mechanics without considering all of their implications.

We also talk about paperclips. Lots and lots of paperclips.

Jan 28, 2018

Everyone plays games, but games aren't always designed with everyone in mind. In this episode, we're joined by [Dee Del Rosario](https://twitter.com/scumbling) as we discuss how to build games that include and appeal to as many people as possible. We cover why representational inclusivity is so important, tools for making your games more accessible, how to support marginalized creators, and the importance of putting in the effort to do your research and remaining critical of your own work.

Plus, we recommend tons of great groups, conferences, and talks for you to investigate and get involved with to learn even more!

Remember: be critical of your own work, keep and open mind, and always be willing to listen.

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