Finding the Fun

David talks to Nick Bell, an indie game developer and the creator of Temple of Snek. They talk about puzzle game design, game communities, the pros and cons of solo development, and much more.

Roh and David share some news about the podcast and have a discussion about focus.

Roh and David catch up on their indie game projects! They discuss some recent developments and challenges they've been facing, along with some surprising learnings.

When starting a new project, how do you choose the right tool? We explore this question in-depth as we kick off our new miniseries on Making An Indie Game.

David helps Roh explore design considerations for making a roguelike, then Roh shares some challenges he is facing with his new indie project.

David and Roh discuss some games they have both played before and during quarantine. Then they each take time to recommend 1 game for the other to play.

In this special "quarantine" episode, David talks to his daughter Soren about Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Special guest John Veneron joins us to share his producer perspective on making indie games! We discuss his work at the RIT MAGIC Center manging student teams, some common mistakes that first-time developers make, and how to have a healthy perspective on teamwork.

Special guest Kathryn DeFeo joins us to offer her game artist expertise! We walk through the story of how she got into games, then move into questions about the career and art form. It's a fun episode full of practical advice and thought-provoking insights on how to break in and grow as a game artist!You can learn more about Kathryn on her website:http://www.juupiter.com

David and Roh give updates on their respective game projects! David gives an update on Tengam, which he is now producing as a part of the MAGIC Incubator Program, and Roh gives updates on a Solitaire project at work and a new indie game he is starting.

We sit down with special guest Carly Shields, Senior PR specialist at Evolve PR, to discuss marketing! Carly helps us navigate the quirks the evolving game industry with a hopeful attitude, and offers meaty advice to indies trying to market their games.

Where do new ideas come from? How do we decide which ideas are worth exploring further? David and Roh walk through their personal thoughts and processes, then invite the Roc Game Dev community to weigh in.

David and Roh offer their thoughts on some of the game industry controversies they missed in 2019. 2:16 - Did Game Freak lie about Dexit?22:02 - Should Blizzard have banned Blitzchung?30:00 - Is the Epic Store strategy too aggressive?

In the final episode of Season 1, David and Roh look back on the show so far. What went right? What went wrong? What can improve? They also give thanks to the many people who made this podcast possible. Stay tuned for the new and improved Season 2 in January 2020!

Special guest Noah Ratcliff joins us to discuss rapid prototyping! Noah shares insights from his experience getting started with game dev, participating in game jams, forming Aesthetician Labs, and making weekly prototypes for a hyper casual mobile publisher. There's a ton of useful info for every kind of game dev!

Special guest Peter Lazarski joins us to discuss streaming game dev! Why stream yourself making games? What's the best way to get started? How do you stay motivated? Pete answers these questions and more with stories from his own personal experience!

Roh and David talk about Apple Arcade and hypothesize its potential short- and long-term impact on players and developers.

What are some common mistakes people make when designing their first game? David and Roh walk through a list of pitfalls, offering examples and advice.

David interviews co-host Rohit Crasta about his road to game development. They talk about his school days, discovering a love for game design, struggling at a game school, the power of game jams, and breaking in.

Roh interviews co-host David Kilmer about his road to game development. They talk about playing Pong and Odyssey, early game dev experiments, breaking into a programming career, Reproduction Man, and his modern discovery of game design.You can buy Reproduction Man on itch.io for $1.50 or on Steam for $1.99https://dkilmer.itch.io/reproduction-manhttps://store.steampowered.com/app/511920/Reproduction_Man/And check out the Tengam demo for free on itch.iohttps://dkilmer.itch.io/tengam

David and Roh discuss the resurgent controversy surrounding politics in games. What does it mean for a game to be political? Should politics play a role in games?

Special guest Noelle Brandmier joins us to discuss Wine & Game Pairing and the environment of play! How does environment influence our play experiences, for better of for worse? How do we create ideal play environments for ourselves?To learn more about Wine & Game Pairing, visit and follow Noelle at:www.wineandgamepairing.comTwitter: @WineGamePairingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wineandgamepairing/

Roh and David discuss how experiencing, performing and composing music influences their ideas about game design.

David and Roh discuss some games they have played recently, sharing design thoughts on specific game elements and moments that stood out to them. The games mentioned in this episode are: Super Mario Odyssey, Baba Is You, Stardew Valley, and Minit.

David and Roh look back on previous topic discussions, offering new thoughts and answering listener questions along the way. Topics revisited are: Games as Art, Game Reviews, Violence in Games, and Difficulty in Games.

Are you trying to break into the game industry? Have you ever been frustrated or confused by the hiring process? David and Roh share their experiences from the employer perspective to demystify the process and offer actionable advice for aspiring game devs.

A new From Software game has sparked discussion on the role of difficulty in games. What is difficulty? How do difficulty options impact different kinds of players? What is a game designer's responsibility to providing difficulty options in their work?

Roh and David talk about some game designers we admire and what they appreciate about them.

Roh and David tackle the difficult issue of violence in videogames. What is it, is it a problem, and how can we approach it as game designers?

Roh and David sit down with Robert Mostyn, co-founder of Roc Game Dev and Digital Games Hub Coordinator at RIT, to talk about growing the Rochester game dev community.

David and Roh take turns sharing about their current game projects. They discuss some recent successes, upcoming challenges, and even some lessons.

Roh and David finish up their discussion of game reviews and critiques, their place in games culture, and how they could be made better.

Roh and David discuss game reviews and critiques, their place in games culture, and how they could be made better.

Roh and David dive into the topic of games as an artform, then shift into a discussion about the Indiepocalypse

Roh and David kick off a new game design podcast with some introductions and a few quick thoughts about what you can expect to hear in future episodes.