Kritiqal Care

Claire Morwood (she/her) is an indie game developer whose work explores multimedia interactivity, handmade assets, and introspective narratives. She joined me to discuss her most recent project, Asterism, an interactive concept album about exploring the galaxy. We touch on writing music for play, how creating the game from physical objects impacted its design, and the value of a detailed dev log. Later we remember how good libraries are.You can learn more about Claire's games on her website and follow her on Bluesky @shimmerglitch.bsky.social.Claire's Cool Things to Share- Visiting your local libraryThings Discussed- Asterism (Claire Morwood, 2025)- Full Moon dev blog- Mix and Game Jam (2020)- Asterism's installation at Next Level 2024Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Terry Cavanagh (he/him) is an Irish indie developer know for games like Super Hexagon and Dicey Dungeons. He joined me on the show to discuss developing ideas out of game jams, being drawn to new tools and platforms, and games as social spaces. Later we dive into his new collection, Terry's Other Games, which compiles many of his small projects across more than a decade.You can learn more about Terry's games on his website and follow him on Bluesky @terrycavanaghgames.comTerry's Cool Things to Share- Anthology of the Killer (thecatamites, 2024)Things Discussed- Super Hexagon (Terry Cavanagh, 2012)- Dicey Dungeons (Terry Cavanagh, 2019)- Climb the Giant Man Obby (Terry Cavanagh, 2021)- Anyone could be struck by lighting at any time (Terry Cavanagh, 2021)- Terry's Other Games (Terry Cavanagh, 2025)- Roblox (and this People Make Games documentary)- OuyaKritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Autumn Greenley (she/they) and Zaozoruzhna (he/him) are two members of the indie game studio, Mortally Moonstruck Games, who for the last few years they have been working on the mushroom girl cultivating game/RPG/visual novel,Mushroom Musume.They joined me for this episode to discuss the game's origins, how it grew from a game jam experiment to a much larger project, adapting tabletop principles to a videogame, and their favorite mushroom girls. Later, I get some pointers on how to start foraging.You can learn more about Mortally Moonstruck's games ontheir website and onitch. You can follow Autumn and Zao on Bluesky@autumnotopia and@zaozoruzhna.Autumn and Zao's Cool Things to Share- Going outside and looking for mushrooms- Cooking on a cast iron skilletThings Discussed-Mushroom Musume(Mortally Moonstruck Games, upcoming)-Princess Maker(Gainax, 1991)-All That the Rain Promises and More…(David Arora, 1991)-Pigsquad Summer Slow JamsKritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music byDesired. It's available onPocket Casts,Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL onKo-Fi.

Content warning: brief mention of suicide around the 48-51 minute mark. 2024 has come and gone which means it's time for our annual retrospective episode, where I ask former guests of the show to share their favorite gaming memories of the year. As always the responses were incredibly thoughtful, introspective, and touched on so much more than just the games we play but how they impact our lives. It's always a joy to produce this episode and I want to give a big thanks to everyone that took part in it. Thanks for joining me for another great year of Kritiqal Care, and happy new year! FeaturingKate Olguin | Alicia and Kiki of Transparency | Andrew of Indiepocalypse | Nicholas O'Brien | Taylor McCue | Colin of melessthanthree | Nilson Carroll | Kat of Pixel A Day | Nathan Blades | Fragile (tipsheda) | Jeff Chiao (Chi Xu) | Adam Le Doux | Lily Valeen | Rose of Domino Club | David Su | Cecile Richard | Xiri | rileylessthan9 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Nevyn Holms (any/all) is one half of indie tabletop studio Dinoberry Press, whose games explore collaborative crafts, asymmetric mechanics, and genre adaptation. They joined me to break down what draws them to physical objects as mechanics, creating shared buy in at a table, and the importance of fucked up little guys. You can learn more about Dinoberry's games on their website and on itch. Nevyn's Cool Things to Share- Doing game design deep dives on itch projects- Sharkula (Mark Polonia, 2022) Things Discussed- Gun & Slinger (Dinoberry Press, 2021)- Justicar (Dinoberry Press, 2022- You're In Space and Everything's Fucked (Dinoberry Press, 2023)- Dinocar (Dinoberry Press, 2023)- User Is Typing // Message Sent (Nevyn Holmes, 2020)- Skel-IT-ons (Nevyn Holmes, 2020)- Dice Souls (Chris Bissette, 2021) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Ayu Koyama (she/her), aka sweetfish, is an interactive fiction writer and designer whose work explores religion, history, and digital play. In this episode we chat about what drew her to interactive fiction as a form, how that intersects with her experimental web design projects, and the ways a distant relationship with Catholicism influences her games. In closing we invite you to read old books. You can learn more about Ayu's projects on her personal website and play her games on itch. Ayu's Cool Things to Share- The Talented Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsman, 1955) book series Things Discussed- Night Confessionals (sweetfish, 2023)- Eider Cake (sweetfish, 2024)- Heretic Pride (Laika)- Pentiment (Obsidian, 2022)- Commonplace (Pitter-Patter, 2022)- LATEX, LEATHER, LIPSTICK, LOVE, LUST (LITHOBREAKERS, 2024)- The Neo-Interactives- Weird Web October Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Content warning: this episode briefly discusses suicidal ideation Kyou System (they/them) is an artist and game developer whose work explores the profound and incoherent world of dreams. We discuss the nocturnal origins of their first game, Remembrance, revisiting and remaking it half a decade later, embracing a more expressionistic writing style, and getting involved in visual novel game jams. Finally, we implore you to consider backgammon. You can learn more about Kyou's projects on their personal website and play their games on itch. Kyou's Cool Things to Share- The Menhera VN Jam- Backgammon Things Discussed- Remembrance (Kyou System, 2019)- Permanence (Kyou System, 2020)- THERA (Kyou System, ongoing)- The VN Cup- The Queer Games Bundle- RPG Maker 2003- Ren'Py Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Content warning: this episode briefly discusses blood imagery rileylessthannine (it/its) is a multimedia artist and game developer whose work explores the tension between abrasion and hope. In this episode we chat about its collage visual style, getting emotional over code, and the absurdity of people trying to ignore trans representation in itch games. Elsewhere, we collectively stare in befuddlement at Square-Enix's various business ventures. You can learn more about Riley's games on itch and its personal website. Riley's Cool Things to Share- Spiral: The Bonds of Reasoning (Kyo Shirodaira, 1999-2005) Things Discussed- Rodea the Sky Soldier (Prope, 2015)- infinity is what we will be (Riley

Kasey Ozymy (he/him) is an indie RPG developer whose work draws from 16-bit classics and deep cuts. In this episode we chat about what interests him about RPGs, the design and writing philosophy behind modern classic Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass, and how the upcoming Hymn to the Earless God will be an even more complex project. You can learn more about Kasey's games on Steam, and follow him on Twitter @KaseyOzymy. Kasey's Cool Things to Share- Listening to entire Wikipedia music genre page discographies- Slay the Spire: The Board Game (Contention Games, 2024) Things Discussed- Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass (Kasey Ozymy, 2018)- Hymn to the Earless God (Starseed Games, upcoming)- The God of Crawling Eyes (Kasey Ozymy, 2013)- A Very Long Rope to the Top of the Sky (Kasey Ozymy, 2013)- The Heart Pumps Clay (Kasey Ozymy, 2014)- Born Under the Rain (Kasey Ozymy, Indrah, LockeZ, Crazy_Leen, 2015)- rpgmaker.net- RPG Maker- Final Fantasy Mystic Quest- Lennus: Kodai Kikai no Kioku / Paladin's Quest (Copya System, 1992)- When I Was Five I Killed Myself (Howard Buten, 1981) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Xiri (he/him) is the creator of the sublime BL visual novel series, HITME, among other games exploring queer relationships and the end of the world. He took some time away from the upcoming HITM3 to chat with me about transitioning from music videos to games, how film influences his work, and a world where everybody is gay. You can learn more about Xiri's games on itch, and follow him on cohost @akaxiri. Xiri's Cool Things to Share- Meeting director Antoni Padrós (Pim pam pum revolución, 1970; Shirley Temple Story, 1976) Things Discussed- HITME (xiri, 2021)- HITME2 (xiri, 2022)- HITM3 (xiri, 2024)- MOONYOLK (xiri, 2022)- All Our Asias (Melos Han-Tani, 2018)- Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg (Fuzzy Ghost, 2022)- The Hole (Tsai Ming-liang, 1998)- “The Music of HITM3” devlog- Shūji Terayama- Bruce LaBruce Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Austin Ramsay (he/him) is a tabletop RPG designer best known for Beam Saber, a Forged in the Dark game about mech pilots fighting an endless war. He joined me on this episode to talk about going from writing “imagination games” as a kid to 400+ page RPGs, creating rules that encourage player/GM collaboration, and how fun it can be to have a character go AWOL. You can learn more about Austin's games on itch, and follow him on cohost @AustinRamsayGames. Austin's Cool Things to Share- Unjust Depths (Madiha Santana, 2020-ongoing) Things Discussed- Beam Saber (Austin Ramsay, 2019)- Beam Saber: The Show (Austin Ramsay, 2024)- You Don't Meet In an Inn, an actual play podcast - CalazCon, upcoming actual play podcast- Forged in the Dark games- Serenity Role Playing Game (Jamie Chambers, 2005)- Rufus Roswell's fictional/mechanical TTRPG action matrix Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Sylvie (she/her) is a prolific creator of challenging platformers, action RPGs, and games about cats. She sat down with me to discuss her design philosophy based in constraints, games as conversations, and her esoteric entry into the year of bump combat. Later, she 1CCs an arcade cult classic. You can learn more about Sylvie's games and writing on her website, and follow her on cohost @sylvie. Sylvie's Cool Things to Share- The Tower of Druaga (Namco, 1984) and her 1CC playthrough Things Discussed- Sylvie's game spreadsheet- love ♥ game- Sylvie Lime (Sylvie, 2023)- Her Little Sylvietower (Sylvie, 2022)- Sylvie RPG: 7 Elf Apocalypse (Sylvie, 2024)- Sylvie Miniature (Sylvie, 2024)- The Ys franchise (Nihon Falcom, 1987-2023)- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions, upcoming)- Sylvie's essay “Ways of Speaking” Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Meredith Gran (she/her) is a comics artist and game designer, best known for her webcomic, Octopus Pie and the adventure game Perfect Tides. She sat down with me to talk about her experience coming to games from a comics background, how Perfect Tides' mechanics where influenced by teenage naivety, and why the 00s are such a rich period for coming of age stories. Finally, we wrap up with a teaser for the upcoming sequel, Perfect Tides: Station to Station. You can learn more about Meredith's games and comics on her website. Meredith's Cool Things to Share- Having a VHS collection with Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001) Things Discussed- Perfect tides (Three Bees, 2022)- Octopus Pie (Meredith Gran, 2007-2017)- King's Quest (Sierra, 1984)- I Like Movies (Chandler Levack, 2022)- PEN15 (Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, 2019-2021)- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Meredith Gran, upcoming) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

For the first Kritiqal Care bonus episode, returning guests Colin (he/they) of melessthanthree and Kevin Wong (they/them) join me to discuss their recently released action RPG, Death of a Wish. A more aggressive sequel to Lucah: Born of a Dream, Death of a Wish follows ex-antagonist Christian as he embarks on a revenge mission against the christofascist Sanctum. We discuss where the idea for a sequel came from, its themes emerging from contemporary anxieties and apathy, balancing thematic resonance with difficulty, and planning a coordinated marketing push for an effective team of two. Death of a Wish is available now on itch, Steam, and Switch. Things Discussed- Death of a Wish (melessthanthree, 2024)- Lucah: Born of a Dream (melessthanthree, 2018)- Dear Future (Dear Future Production Committee, 2021)- How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber, 2022) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Cecile Richard (they/them) is a graphic designer, writer, and game developer known for their playful Bitsy projects and hypertext fiction. They joined me to discuss cyclical stories, the risk/reward of collaborating with close friends, and how cool underground tunnels are. We also take a moment to proselytize about editors, and I learn about a new, extremely fake sounding sport. You can play Cecile's games on itch, and follow them on cohost @haraiva. Cecile's Cool Things to Share- Australian sports season starting up soon (go Geelong Cats!)- Subterraneans Podcast Things Discussed- Indiepocalypse (listen to our episode with Andrew)- Domino Club (check out our episode with Emma, Nat, and Rose)- Bitsy (enjoy our episode with Adam Le Doux)- Novena (Cecile Richard, 2018)- Endless Scroll (Cecile Richard, 2019)- Topography (Cecile Richard, 2020)- Hope (Cecile Richard and Cable Ties, 2020)- Gutless (Domino Club, 2022)- Cycle (Domino Club, 2022)- The Devil's Imago (Domino Club, 2023 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

David Su (he/him) is a musician, audio programmer, and game designer who explores interactive music and performance art. He took some time off from his ballooning schedule to discuss how he got interested in making games from an audio background, the challenges and rewards of centering your game around sound, and the playful earnestness of a cloned sheep's lament. Later, we wander into a video store. You can play Davids games on itch, and follow him on Twitter @usdivad. David's Cool Things to Share- Visiting local video stores and buying DVDs Things Discussed- Brass Lion Entertainment- Runaway Reveree (David Su, 2016)- Yi and the Thousand Moons (David Su, 2017)- Seasons (David Su and Dominique Star, 2018)- The Ballad of the Metamorphosis of M. Dolly (David Su, 2019)- One Hand Clapping (Bad Dream Games, 2021)- Tasting Room Jam Halloween 2019 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

It's New Year's Eve, which means 2023 has come and gone, bringing in closing our annual end of the year show. As is tradition, I reached out to past guests of the show to ask what their most impactful gaming memory was from the last 12 months. As this year has been particularly brutal to folks in and around games, I opened the prompt up to not exclusively focus on good memories, hoping instead to simply reflect on the year as a whole, positive and negative. The responses were as insightful, touching, and playful as ever, running the gamut from industry events, personal milestones, and games that captured people's imaginations. I hope you enjoy this look back at 2023, and that you have a great 2024. Happy new year! FeaturingElaine Gómez | Kate Olguin | Quinn K | Andrew of Indiepocalypse | Nicholas O'Brien | SKELETON DEEP HELL DOT COM | Taylor McCue | Nilson Carroll | Kat of Pixel A Day | Nathan Blades | Kevin Wong | Jeff Chiao | Lily Valeen | Canvas (bighandinsky) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Domino Club is a pseudo-anonymous internet collective that makes weird, horny, and genre perverting videogames. In this episode I'm joined by Domino Club card carrying members Emma (she/her), Nat (she/they), and Rose (she/her) to chat about the group's origins, its unconventional approach to anthology projects, and how all these games are secretly just for them. We also dive into their latest jam, Humors & Humus, to discuss how each member approached the chickpea-less theme. You can find all of Domino Club's games on itch and their website, and the group on Twitter @club_domino. Domino Club's Cool Things to Share (more down below)- Rose: Cecil B. Demented (John Waters, 2000)- Nat: the films of Sarah Jacobson- Emma: people who have been inspired by Domino Club to make their own game groups Domino Club Games Discussed- HACKER//SUCKER//LOSER (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Adverse Possession (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Ziptie Choker (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- The Devil's Imago (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- PISSED-ON PETITE PERVERT (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Greaser (Metal & Flesh Jam, 2022) Other Things Discussed- Believeinthe.net- Garden's of Vextro (vextro, 2022)- Donating My Body To Science (Heavens To Betsy, 1994)- FREEYOUTUBEMP3DOWNLOAD- Mutant Hunt (Tim Kincaid, 1987) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. View additional question answers from other Domino Club members on KRITIQAL.

Sam Machell (he/him) is half of indie game studio Sand Gardeners, known for provocative and unconventional games like Dark Kitchen, Memphis, Bubbleland, and Brownie Cove Cancelled. We chat about the studio's origins as a webcomic collaboration, designing hostile environments, and the tragedy and possibility of unarchivable games. Later, Sam gives a brief eulogy for the Wii U, sadly taken from us too soon. You can play Sand Gardeners's games on itch, and follow Sam on Instagram @sambehindglass. Sam's Inspiring Things to Share- The tragically misunderstood Wii U Things Discussed- the Brownie Cove webcomic (partially archived on its facebook page)- Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer, 2016-2020)- Exhaustlands (Sand Gardeners, 2018)- Brownie Cove Cancelled (2018)- Kitchen For One (Sand Gardeners, 2019)- Dark Kitchen (2020)- Memphis, Bubbleland (2022)- Unpaid Serenade for Future Solution Group [2026 eCon Grief/Heartbreak Singalong Nightmare/Archive] (Sand Gardeners, 2021)- Feast Work (Sand Gardeners, 2023)- non-places (Marc Auge's Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity)- non-time (Mark Fisher's Ghosts of my Life)- non-endings (LeeRoy Lewin's The Aleph Hustle)- co-open (lowpolis, 2021)- No shit, video games are political. They're conservative. (Josh Tucker, 2019) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Lili Zone (she/they) is the experimental game designer behind works like Crypt World (2013) and Crypt Underworld (2023). She took some time to chat with me about Crypt World's origins, the nearly decade long development of Underworld, and what she has planned for the future now the crypts are behind her. We also dig into the evolving conception of indie games, the “small games matter” PR amnesia cycle, and gaming's ongoing embarrassment and adoration for Great Men™️. You can play Lili's games on itch, and her personal site. Lili's Cool Things to Share- The Blazing World (Margaret Cavendish, 1666) Things Discussed- Crypt World- Crypt Underworld- The Virtual Museum of Dead-Wifery (Lili Zone, 2020)- Room Map (Lili Zone, 2022)- Glorious Trainwrecks- Problem Attic (Liz Ryerson, 2013)- Indie Game: The Movie (James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot, 2012) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Canvas (he/she), aka bighandinsky, is the creator of crunchy, narrative driven scifi games A Forgetful Loop (2020) and A Day of Maintenance (2022). He's collaborated with fellow writers and indie devs Freya Campbell and Elliot Herriman, and joined me on this episode to chat about integrating dense narration into mechanics heavy games, writing casual and circuitous conversations with robots, and the struggle of managing energy and stress during longterm projects. You can follow Canvas on Cohost @peterrobot, and play his games on itch. Canvas' Cool/Inspiring Things to Share- Daily wordplay games Murdle and Redactcle- How much they appreciate their partner Things Discussed- A Forgetful Loop- A Day of Maintenance- Two Peas in a Pod (bighandinsky, 2021)- Ink by Inkle- Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2022) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Leah Case (she/her) is a writer and game developer who specializes in absurd Twine hacking. In our chat, she digs into why she loves Twine so much, how she approaches writing branching interactive fiction, and how collaborating as part of snotwurm lets her focus in on system building (in Twine, of course). She closes the show out by teasing a forthcoming visual novel strategy game, and recommending some further listening. You can follow Leah on Twitter @leahthecase, and play her games on itch. Leah's Cool Things to Share- C. J. Cherryh's science fiction writing Things Discussed- Twine- Lysogenesis (Leah Case, 2022)- A Political Marriage (Leah Case, 2022)- SugarPhone, a SugarCube 2 Phone Engine (Leah Case, 2023)- Leaving, 2153 (Leah Case, 2020)- San Francisco, 2118 (Leah Case, 2019)- Snotwurm- GOOD DUNGEON (Snotwurm, 2021)- BAPY (Snotwurm, 2021) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Autumn Rain (she/they/it) is a prolific game developer whose work explores religious trauma, non-linear exploration, and getting lost in a maze of rats. We discuss games as miserable piles of secrets, the importance of indie dev communities, and why it's actually fine and good to troll gamers. You can follow Autumn on Twitter @slitherpunk, on Tumblr @slitherpunk, and play her games on itch. Autumns's Cool Things to Share- Lunacid (KIRA LLC, 2022)- Cartomancy Anthology (Compact, 2022)- The Owl House (Dana Terrace, 2020-2023) Things Discussed- Sewer Rave (Autumn Rain, 2018)- Voidland Mystery Goodnight (Autumn Rain, 2022)- Be Not Afraid A.K.A. Seraphim Horror Show!? (Autumn Rain, 2020)- Artists of a Dead World (Autumn Rain, 2020)- Gardens of a New World (Autumn Rain, 2021)- Super Paper Mario (Intelligent Systems, 2007)- Code Coven- Haunted PS1 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Lily Valeen (she/they) is a game designer, writer, and artist who recently released BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart, a mobile action game about lesbian devil hunters. She joined me on the show to dive into BOSSGAME's development, the frustrating preconceptions around mobile games, and writing queer romance. Later on, we encourage you to befriend your cool mutuals. You can follow Lily on Twitter @ItsMeLilyV, and play her games on iOS, Android, and itch. Lily's Cool Thing to Share- Becoming friends with people on the internet (it's more likely than you think!) Things Discussed- BOSSGAME (Lilycore Games, 2022)- Collaborating with guest artists (full list of artists here)- A lost era of mobile games- Indie game marketing (spoiler: there's no secret)- Mobile -> PC -> mobile ports- Romances about couples that are already together- Mystic Messenger (Cheritz, 2016) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Kate Barrett (she/her) is a game developer and comic artist best known for her playful, irreverent, and frequently copyright infringing design philosophy, best showcased by games such as Ready Player Fuck (2017) and Pottergame (2020). She joined me this episode to retrace her curiosity-turned-obsession with Earnest Cline's novel, evangelize her suitably unorthodox commitment to Blitz3D, and discuss the freedom that comes with embracing Glorious Trainwrecks. You can play Kate's games on itch and Glorious Trainwrecks. Kate's Inspiring Thing to Share - Playing more videogames (and learning to enjoy them again) Things Discussed - Ready Player Fuck - Amy in Art Land (Kate Barrett, upcoming) - KateLabs (Kate Barrett, 2021) - Space Funeral 3D (spiders, krisekrise, 2021) - dream metro quadrilogy (bagenzo, 2021) - Gooshlands Gathering (Cubewell, 2021) - Dolphin Preserve RPG (Whales 2021) - Devourer: The Minigames (2021) - Blitz3D now-open-source engine Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Content warning: this episode is primarily about porn Kenzie Shores (she/her) is a game developer and artist best known for the pornographic visual novel, Hardcoded. Nearing the game's full release, Kenzie joined me to chat about Hardcoded's origins, the challenge of monetizing porn, and why it really sucks to work on the same game for seven years. You can follow Kenzie on Twitter @yoplatz, support Hardcoded on Patreon, and download the free demo on itch. Kenzie's Cool Things to Share - Using vegetable stock instead of water for rice (!) - The Erotic Poems of E. E. Cummings Things Discussed - Hardcoded - Why Patreon sucks for porn - Ladykiller in a Bind (Love Conquers All Games, 2016) - Ancient porn mods for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Manhunt (Gretchen Felker-Martin, 2022) - Content warnings in games (or the lack thereof) - Untitled sexy fantasy card game Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

The year has come and gone in a Sonic hued blur, and as is now tradition, I reached out to prior Kritiqal Care guests to ask what their favorite gaming and/or gaming-adjacent memory was in 2022. The responses were truly incredible, spanning great games, communities, moments of personal growth, and surprising opportunities. This continues to be my favorite episode of the year, and I'm so glad to get to share it with you. Happy new year! Featuring Leo Bunyea | Aubrey Isaacman | Elaine Gómez | Kate Olguin | Kiki & Alicia of Transparency | Quinn K | Andrew of Indiepocalypse | Nicholas O'Brien | SKELETON | Taylor McCue | Hyacinth Nil | Nilson Carroll | Kat of Pixel A Day | Jeff Chiao | Jeremy Couillard | Karin Malady | Joel Jordon | Son La Pham | Adam Le Doux | Jason Bakker | Max Miller | Cosmo D Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Dave Hoffman (they/them) is the creator of Mixolumia (davemakes, 2020), an arcade puzzle game combining contextual soundtracks with diamond-based combos. They came on the show to dig into the spontaneous origins of the game, how it continued to evolve and incorporate player creations, and the difficulty of marketing puzzle games in a streamer attention economy. Later, they admit to having never seen Goncharov (Martin Scorsese, 1973). You can follow Dave on Twitter @davemakes, on cohost @geometric, and purchase Mixolumia on itch, Steam, and Switch. Dave's Cool Thing to Share Getting owned by Goncharov Things Discussed - Mixolumia - Executive Golf DX (davemakes, 2021) - Rotohex (Skip Ltd., 2006) - Pico-8 - Down With the Mixness (I refer to this twice as Chop Suey and I cannot explain why) - Tetris Effect (Monstars/Resonair, 2018) - Josie Brechner's music - SimCity 2000: Urban Renewal Kit (Maxis, 1994) - Petal Crash (Friend & Fairy, 2020) - Spirit Swap (Soft Not Weak, 2023) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Cosmo D (he/him) is a game developer and musician whose work explores urban life, the creator economy, and giant pizza demanding buildings. Hot off the release of Betrayal At Club Low (2022), Cosmo D sat down with me to detail his dramatic pivot out of music into games, finding a medium that inspires you to keep growing, and chasing his space trucker sim white whale. You can play Cosmo D's games on Steam and itch, purchase the soundtracks on Bandcamp, and join his community on Discord. Cosmo D's Cool Thing to Share The Great Pottery Throw Down (Love Productions, 2015-ongoing) Things Discussed Off-Peak (Cosmo D, 2014) The Norwood Suite (Cosmo D, 2017) Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 (Cosmo D, 2020) Betrayal At Club Low Gone Home (Fullbright, 2013) Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Max Miller (they/them) is a composer, writer, and game designer. As part of new studio Pitter-Patter, they released Commonplace (2022), an ordinary adventure game about working in an office. For this episode, Max spent some time talking about the game's experimental development, how they structured the soundtrack as a companion work, and a desire to make games that push against consumption driven mechanics. Spoiler advisory: we do not discuss many specific moments in Commonplace, but do talk a lot about the general structure and tone of the game. I'd recommend playing the game before listening, if only because everything will make much more sense. Commonplace is available on PC and Mac for free via itch. You can follow Max on Twitter @Funbil_ and keep up with Pitter-Patter @PitterPatterDev. Max's Good Thing to Share Appreciating small, not-yet-nostalgic memories (also Tim Roger's review of boku no natsuyasumi) Things Discussed - Commonplace - Commonplace Original Soundtrack (Max Miller, 2022) - Yume Nikki (Kikiyama, 2004) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Wayward Strand (Ghost Pattern, 2022) is an upcoming adventure game which follows Casey - a teenager and aspiring journalist - as she explores a hospital airship floating above the Australian country-side. Two of its developers, Goldie Bartlett (she/her) and Jason Bakker (he/him), joined me on this episode to dive into the game's origins, how the continuous in-game clock allows for new forms of storytelling, and how collaborating with indigenous and mental health advocacy groups helped the team write richer, more honest characters. Wayward Strand releases September 15th, 2022 on Steam, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch. You can follow Goldie, Jason, and Ghost Pattern on Twitter @GhostTownGoldie, @jason_bakker, and @ghostpattern (respectively). Goldie and Jason's Inspiring Things to Share - Goldie: her gratitude towards the Ghost Pattern team for all their work - Jason: the curiosity and joy of his 2-year-old daughter Things Discussed - Wayward Strand - Sleep No More (Punchdrunk, 2011) - Little Party (Turnfollow, 2015) - Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik, 2019) - Bunurong Land Council - Dementia Alliance International - "Growing up and growing old in Wayward Strand" by Stephanie Harkin Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Adam Le Doux (he/him) is a game and software developer best known for creating the tiny game engine, Bitsy. Just shy of Bitsy's six-year birthday, Adam came on the show to talk about Bitsy's unassuming origins and surprising evolution as part of the tiny games scene. Later, we discuss how Bitsy's form sets in in opposition to conventional, capital driven games and software, the importance of the engine's community, and how to preserve these games against the forces of tech oligarchies. You can find Adam's games and tools on itch, and follow him on Twitter @adamledoux. Adam's Cool Things to Share Everest Pipkin's “Tiny Tools Directory” Nathalie Lawhead's “Tiny Tool Roundups” Bread + Puppet's “Why Cheap Art” manifesto Things Discussed Bitsy (Adam Le Doux) Twine (Chris Klimas) Pico-8 (Lexaloffle Games) Creature Passing (Froach Club, 2016) Claire Morwood's “Bitsy tutorial” Seleb's “Bitsy Hacks” repo Borksy (ayolland) pixsy (synth ruiner) flicksy (mark wonnacott) Museum of ZZT bitsybox (Adam Le Doux)

Spiders (they/them) are an alt game dev specializing in queer, grimy, anti-tech industry experiments. In this episode, we chat about their upcoming anthology game, The Museum of Radically Obsolete Futures, the tension between wanting to make shit that's cool vs shit that sells, and how vital communities like The Queer Games Bundle are to the weird game scene. You can find spiders behind you, play their games on itch, and follow them on Twitter @spiderszzz. Spiders' Cool Thing to Share Playing Disco Elysium (2019, ZA/UM) as a weekly social book club Things Discussed The Museum of Radically Obsolete Futures Flight Simulator 20XX Infinity (spiders, 2020) Space Funeral 3D (spiders and krisekrise, 2021) Occult Spreadsheet Synthesizer (spiders, 2021) Cursed List of Jungle Tilesets as Narrated by Werner Herzog (spiders and krisekrise, 2021) Nathalie Lawhead's CSS itch profiles The Queer Games Bundle 2022 (available until July 6th 2022! Buy it!!) The Indiepocalypse Pledge Drive (happening through July 2022! Support it!!) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

In collaboration with utopian collective Trust, designer Son La Pham (he/him) and developer Francis Tseng (he/they) created Half Earth Socialism (2022), a browser game companion to Troy Vettese and Drew Pendergrass's book of the same name. As part of the game's launch, Son La and Francis joined me on the show to discuss how the collaboration began, the challenge of building a global planning simulator as a browser game, and the importance of going beyond raw calculations to allow players to become emotionally invested. You can play Half Earth Socialism for free and purchase the book from Verso. You can learn more about Son La Pham and Francis Tseng on their personal sites. Good Things to Share Son La: the sports park with the green roof (you know the one) where baby lambs mow the lawn. Francis: being in Berlin and appreciating how walkable/bikable the city is. Things Discussed Half Earth Socialism (game), Half Earth Socialism (book), and Half Earth Socialism (political theory) Trust Reigns (Nerial, 2016) Into the Breach (Subset Games, 2018) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Fantasia Malware - comprised of Jira Trello (she/her), Chloê Langford (she/her), and Gabriel Helfenstein (he/him) - are an experimental game label specializing in mega-maximalist un-game performance art. They crowded into KRITIQAL's digital podcast booth to discuss grotesque beauty, games as instruments, and creating art that can't be wiki-fied. Later, they recommend birds. You can learn more about Fantasia Malware and subscribe to their mailing list on their website. Jira also hosts the podcast, New Genesis Online. Fantasia Malware's cool things to share Jira: “somewhere between the 8th and 9th floor” by aya Chloê: the Merlin bird identification app and Australian birds (especially these ones) Gabriel: Super Bogus World (hubol, 2011) Things Discussed The Orchid Collector (Fantasia Malware, 2020) The Life of Saint Fiona Bianco Xena (Fantasia Malware, 2021) Okthryssia and Saturnia's Bureaucratic Adventures (Outlands, 2022) AAA Software What I thought was a Yahoo Answers question about Minecraft but was actually a Steam forums thread about Her Story. Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Studio Oleomingus is an art practice and game studio based Chala, India, whose work explores magical realism, post-colonial landscapes, and redacted authorship. Studio founder Dhruv Jani (he/him) joined me to talk through his unique history with modern videogames, his skepticism at the necessity of systemic interaction, and how employing fictitious external authors connects Oleomingus' work to a larger history of post-independence Indian storytellers. You can learn more about Studio Oleomingus on their website, play their games for free on Steam or itch, and follow them on Twitter @studiooleomingu. Dhruv's Cool Thing to Share Nainsukh (Amit Dutta, 2010) - a film about the artist of the same name, which recreates several of his miniature paintings with live actors Things Discussed The Indifferent Wonder of an Edible Place (Studio Oleomingus, 2020) a Museum of Dubious Splendors. (Studio Oleomingus, 2018) Dear Esther (The Chinese Room, 2008) ”No shit, video games are political. They're conservative.” by Josh Tucker ”Anarcute, Tonight We Riot, and the Optics of Revolution” Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Joel Jordon (they/them) is the solo game developer of Time Bandit (2022), a real-time anti-capitalist work sim about how our subjective experience of time is shaped by our relationship to labor and historical forces. With Time Bandit's first part releasing soon, Joel took some time to join me in talking through the game's themes, how effective games can be as political instruments, and the hazy ethics of games-as-work. You can wishlist Time Bandit on Steam and play the free prologue on itch. Joel is on Twitter @pumbertop. Joel's Encouraging Thing to Share Recognizing that everything is constantly moving and evolving; that change will come even when it feels impossible Things Discussed Time Bandit Joel's blog, “The Game Manifesto” VESPER.5 (Michael Brough, 2012) Animal Crossing (2001-present, Nintendo) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Karin Malady (any/all pronouns) is a writer, poet, and occultist interested in the relationship between art and audience. Recently, they've contributed writing to apocalyptic photography game, Dear Future (Dear Future Production Committee, 2021), and videogame flesh realm DEEP HEEL DOT COM. In this especially free wheeling episode, we talk about growing up on the internet, metafiction, being Tony Hawk, and provoking readers. You can find Karin on Twitter @SweetNAwful, and explore their many creative endeavors on their personal site. Karin's Cool People to Shoutout Tildelta - dark electronic musician with a new album out soon Persephone Erin Hudson - horror fiction who reminds us “the real canibals were the friends we made along the way” Frog K - flash fiction and insight into “the spiritual rot at the heart of America” blake planty - “best writing about catboys on the internet” Things Discussed Dear Future (and its ending) Tony Hawk's Pro Shopper (Karin Malady, 2019) ”This Video Will Make You Angry” by CGP Grey Sea-Witch (Never Angeline Nørth, 2020) ”NO FEAST FORT THE UNDERFED” by Karin Malady Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Somehow, we're at the end of 2021. It has been a strange, unpleasant, unpredictable year, but you know as much already. I won't belabor the point as if we haven't all been living with the same uncertainty, but I do want to say thank you for listening/reading/being part of KRITIQAL. The community that has grown around the site, the contributors I've been able to commission, and the friend's I've made along the way have been so hugely important to me not spiraling off into the void. It is perhaps the smallest bit of hope to cling to, but I cling to it either way. Please enjoy this compilation of the moments that meant something to this year's guests. They are varied and surprising, and I am so glad to be able to share them with you. Happy holidays! Featuring Taylor McCue | Colin (melessthanthree) | Nem (Sandy Pug Games) | Nilson Carroll | Kat (Pixel A Day) | Nathan Blades | Kevin Wong | Shane Yach | Jeff Chiao | Yaffle (lowpolis) | Jeremy Couillard Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Breogán Hackett (she/they) is an indie dev, community organizer, and creator of low-res horror anthology, The Haunted PS1. She set aside some time from Halloween spooks to talk about how The Haunted PS1 got started, moving beyond the Playstation, and forcing players to get lost. A likely contender for most games mentioned in an episode, and all good ones at that (a hearty recommendation for Bleakshore if you've yet to play it). You can find Breogán's many, many games on itch and follow them on Twitter @BreoganHackett. You can learn more about The Haunted PS1 on Twitter @HauntedPs1. Breogán's Cool Thing to Share A student video essay about Bleakshore Things Discussed Haunted PS1 Demo Disc 2021 (various developers, 2021) Perennial (Breogán Hackett, 2018) Bleakshore (Breogán Hackett, 2020) CUCCCHI (Julian Palacios, 2021) Promesa (Julian Palacios, 2020) Valheim (Iron Gate AB, 2021) Noita (Nolla Games, 2020) An Outcry (Quinn K., upcoming) Mummy Sandbox (Z. Bill, 2021) Chasing Static (Headware Games, 2021) Ectostasis (ENIGMA GAMES, upcoming) Sub Mechanoid (Breogán Hackett, upcoming) Everust (Breogán Hackett, 2017) Super Metroid (Nintendo, 1994) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Xalavier Nelson Jr. (he/him) is a prolific videogame writer, producer, and internet poster, working on everything from An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs (Strange Scaffold, 2021) to Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator (Strange Scaffold, upcoming). He took some time away from creating every videogame to walk through how he moved from games criticism to development, the challenge and necessity of figuring out what you enjoy creating, and the existential dark comedy of a drunk puppy. You can follow Nelson on Twitter @WritNelson, and find a sample of his games on itch. Xalavier's Good Thing to Share The vast troves of art and media available to everyone right now (up to my ears in creative juices) Things Discussed An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator Can Androids Survive (aPriori Digital, 2021) Skatebird (Glass Bottom Games, 2021) El Paso, Elsewhere (Strange Scaffold, upcoming) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Heather Flowers (they/she) is the non-existent creator of EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER, a post-apocalyptic visual-novel beat-em-up about gay disasters meat mechs fighting facists. They didn't join me on this episode to recap MEATPUNK's origins as a spontaneous collection of sounds, adapting the series into tabletop form, and rejecting apocalyptic cynicism. I cannot stress this enough: Heather Flowers does not exist and therefore could not have been on this episode. If Heather Flowers did exist, you could follow her @HTHRFLWRS and play her games on itch. What Heather Flowers Good Thing Would Be, If They Existed Videodrome (David Cronenberg, 1983) Things Discussed EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER (Heather Flowers, 2018) EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER: BOUND BY ASH (Heather Flowers, 2020) GENDERWRECKED (ryan rose aceae, 2017) Extreme Meatpunks Forever: The Roleplaying Game (Sinister Board Games, upcoming) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Naphtali Faulkner (he/him), AKA Veselekov, is the creator of IGF Grand Prize winning photography game, Umurangi Generation (ORIGAME DIGITAL, 2020). In this extra long episode, Naphtali elaborates on origins of Umurangi, confronting liberal apathy, and the hunger people have for explicitly leftist art. Many detours into Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019) are made along the way. You can play Umurangi Generation on Steam and Switch, and follow Naphtali @Veselekov. Napthali's Fun Things to Share Disco Elysium (I promise I'm gonna play it soon) The Hunt: Showdown (Crytek, 2018), with reservations Things Discussed Umurangi Generation - See also: “The world you wished for” Disco Elysium ”Fallout: New Vegas Is Genius, And Here's Why” by hbomberguy If Found… (DREAMFEEL, 2020) Being trapped in a horror movie with Joe Biden and Alex Jones Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Jeremy Couillard (he/him) is an artist and professor, whose games JEF (2020) and Fuzz Dungeon (2021) explore the weird, uncomfortable, and inexplicable aspects of life through humor and alien surrealism. In this episode, Jeremy details how he started creating games out of a frustration with animation, the importance of loitering in digital spaces, and finding community in alt games. You can play Jeremy's games on itch and Steam, and follow them @jeremycouillard. Jeremy's Inspiring Thing to Share Alt games curators and communities (shout out to Indiepocalypse and Dirigitive) Things Discussed JEF Fuzz Dungeon Alien Afterlife (Jeremy Couillard, 2017) Updating to Remain the Same: Habitual New Media (Wendy Hui Kyong Chun, 2016) The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind (Julian Jayne, 2000) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Rayzones (they/them) and Yaffle (she/they) make up indie studio lowpolis, creators of cute games with surreal insides. In this episode we explore the inspiration for lowpolis' latest game, co-open (2021), discus the complex politics surrounding “wholesome games,” and appreciate the most fundamental videogame act: crawling through vents. Closing out the show, I once again confess my shame of having not played some very good games. You can follow lowpolis @lowpolis, @rayzones, and @Yafffle. Their games are available on itch. lowpolis' Good Things to Share Yaffle: waking up and going to bed with the sun Rayzones: replaying Heaven Will Be Mine (Worst Girl Games, 2017) and Beautycopter (Graceless Games, 2020) Things Discussed co-open x_purrsonline_x (lowpolis, 2019) Crayon Physics Deluxe (Kloonigames, 2009) A Game By Its Cover Wholesome Games Pijj's Cove OST (Uio Loi, 2021) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Ryan Rose Aceae (he/they) is a visual novelist whose games explore the messy, sometimes monstrous dynamics of queer identity through surreal characters and earnest writing. In this episode he recounts his nontraditional route into making queer games, collaborating with Heather Flowers on GENDERWRECKED (2017), and the necessity of complex and challenging queer art. Finally, Ryan ends the show with a surprise package from a friend. You can play Ryan's games on itch and follow them @gendervamp. Ryan's Nice Thing to Share A surprise package of plant identification books from a friend (let me know what your favorite plant is, genuinely) Things Discussed GENDERWRECKED Gay Monster Kiss Club (Ryan Rose Aceae, upcoming) Extreme Meat Punks Forever (Heather Flowers, 2018) I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter (Isabel Fall, 2020) Interview with Isabel Fall Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Jeff Chiao (they/them) is an indie game producer, designer, and rhythm game enthusiast currently working on upcoming rhythm action title, UNBEATABLE (D-Cell Games). They took some time away from production to discuss UNBEATABLE's long pre-production, the importance of embedding composers within the dev process, and the thriving indie rhythm game scene. Then Jeff closes the show with an enthusiastic recommendation for Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Greg Lobanov, 2021). You can follow Jeff @comet_melting and play the demo for UNBEATABLE on Steam and itch. Jeff's Inspiring Thing to Share Chicory - See also: Episode 13 featuring Greg Lobanov Things Discussed UNBEATABLE and [white label] A Nightmare's Trip (Sky Hour Works, 2019) OneShot (Future Cat, 2016) LET IT DIE (Grasshopper Works, 2018) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Freya Campbell (she/they) is an interactive fiction writer, designer, and game engine combiner. Her games focus on small interactions in fantastical settings, emphasizing character voices and being incredibly queer. They joined me on this week's episode to discuss writing interactive fiction, putting engines inside each other, and using engine constraints to inform pacing. In closing, I am shamed for having not yet played a bunch of very good games (editor's note: since recording I have played We Know the Devil and it is just as fantastic as Freya makes it out to be). You can play all of Freya's games on itch and follow her on Twitter @Spdrcstl. Freya's Cool Things to Share We Know the Devil (Worst Girl Games, 2015) Heaven Will Be Mine (Worst Girl Games, 2018) Ladykiller in a Bind (Love Conquers All Games, 2016) Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019) Things Discussed Superlunary (Freya Campbell, 2019) - See also: “Food from the torpedo chambers” The Tower Trilogy (Freya Campbell, 2018-2019) The End of Decay (Freya Campbell, 2020) Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik, 2019) - See also: “Episode 23: Hannah Nicklin” Bitsy Twine Flicksy Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Elliot Herriman (she/her) is an interactive fiction author and developer who makes games about being queer and engines to help you not have to code. She spent some time chatting about falling into game dev, the struggle to get your writing in front of people, and the importance of accessible dev tools. We discuss many unspeakable games so make sure there aren't any cops around before you pop this one on. You can play Elliot's games on itch and follow her @elliotherriman. Elliot's Unspeakable Thing to Share Some Sword / Some Play (Jemma, 2020) - duelist smut, what more is there to say? Things Discussed Winter (Freya Cambpell and Elliot Herriman, 2021) Outside (Elliot Herriman and Rachel Morgan, 2020) Cover Me In Leaves (Elliot Herriman, 2020) 10mg collection Heaven's Vault (Inkle, 2019) Calico & Catmint Twine Ink Bitsy Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Shane Yach (he/they) is a game designer and musician whose work combines crunchy, low-poly visuals with surreal internet horror. We spend some time breaking down what makes the PS1 great for horror, how found footage could be adapted for games, and why falling asleep in Proteus is the highest compliment. In closing, Shane reminds us that games don't die on release and we should allow ourselves to take creativity breaks. You can play Shane's games on itch, find their music on Bandcamp, and follow them @tipsheda. Shane's Cool Thing to Share Returning to games they missed on release and finding them no less inspiring (you can find many of these in his itch collection) Things Discussed The Devil (cathroon, Aaron Taecker-Wyss, flan, Nic, shane yach, bb tombo, 2020) No One Is Here (Shane Yach, 2018) I Feel Fantastic (Shane Yach, 2019) Approaches (Shane Yach, 2019) ”Exploration as a game genre,” by Shane Yach (2020) Haunted PS1 LSD: Dream Emulator (Asmik Ace Entertainment, 1998) 7DFPS 98DEMAKE Proteus (Twisted Tree Games, 2013) Promesa (Julian Palacios, 2020) Mundaun (Hidden Fields, 2021) Glorious Trainwrecks Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Kevin Wong (he/they) is a game designer, producer, and scholar who has worked on projects as varied as Chambara, Lucah: Born of a Dream, and Manifold Garden. On this episode he recounts his experience as a student game designer and how anti-hierarchal art movements and Twitch Plays Pokemon inspired the apocalyptic photography game, Dear Future. You can follow Kevin on Twitter @ThatKevinWong and keep up with Dear Future @DearFutureGame. Kevin's Inspiring Thing to Share Umurangi Generation (ORIGAME DIGITAL, 2020) Things Discussed Chambara (team ok, 2017) Dear Future (Dear Future Production Committee, 2021) Manifold Garden (William Chyr, 2020) Twitch Plays Pokemon The Fluxus art movement Exquisite corpse Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.