Seria Ludo

The team discusses anthology as an approach to game design and writing, deep dives on Arco as an excellent example of that, and talks over Godot as the highlight of our new Tool of the Month feature. Introduction 0:00: We introduce Justin Wilson, who will be joining the conversation, and taking over podcast production. 6:03: We discuss the direction of the podcast. Main Feature: Arco and Anthology 8:20: What is Arco? 18:20: Defining "anthology" in terms of both narrative and mechanics, and looking at why Arco is such a great example of that. 27:00: Arco's take on settler colonialism, revenge, and narrative 30:30: The innovative guilt mechanic. 37:08: The marriage of mechanical with narrative anthology and why both are important (especially together) 48:39: The combat system 51:47: Comparison with Weird West, which tried to do something similar to this, but didn't quite succeed Tool of the Month: Godot 57:21: What is Godot? 1:02:17: Signals and Godot's approach to game architecture 1:07:26: Integration with C++ via GDExtensions and performance benefits Wrapping it up 1:14:52: The dumpster fire world, and why games are still important. Action Item: RunForSomething.net 1:18:50: You can run for office (or support active progressive campaigns on the local, state, and national levels) by going to https://runforsomething.net/. Just take a look and see what you think. We need more actual, normal people (as opposed to the self-interested grifters that make up the majority of both parties currently) in office, and this is a great resource for figuring out if you personally might be one of those people. Conclusion 1:22:47: Social media and how to stay in touch with us.

In this episode, Tim and Joel talk about why certain games are so replayable, why that is, if and when it is important, and how designers can intentionally think about replayability in their own games. We frame this discussion in terms of intrinsic motivations (gameplay that is inherently pleasurable) and extrinsic motivations (e.g. working towards a goal, trying to find something out, pursuing a story, pursuing social goals like in an MMO). We also talk about games and designers can reduce friction in cases where that might prevent you from returning to a game. 00:00:00 - Introduction and definitions - Intrinsic vs Extrinsic motivations, and friction. Discovery and play as intrinsic motivation. 00:08:50 - The best games weave intrinsic and extrinsic motivations together -- Valheim is a good example of this. 00:18:20 - Counterexample: State of Decay 2 - failure of shared context in multiplayer makes for external counter-motivation -- players end up feeling like there's no point. 00:24:56 - What is a game's "Discovery Space", and why does it count toward intrinsic motivation? 00:49:50 - Juice -- satisfying UX design. A game that is inherently, tactilely satisfying to interact with.  00:58:00 - What are "Extrinsic motivations" and what are some examples? 01:29:30 - Friction: why do people feel like they don't want to come back? How can you design toward getting players back to your game. 01:42:48 - Making it personal: What games are we each most likely to go back to next?   Games mentioned Truck Simulator, Disco Elysium, Ubisoft games, Valheim, Dead Cells, Mobile Games, One Hour One Life, No Man's Sky, Dying Light, Minecraft, Elite Dangerous, Pentiment, Frostpunk, Workers and Resources, Going Home, Skyrim, Scum, Cyberpunk 2077, Sifu, Dwarf Fortress, Deathloop, Project Zomboid, Baldur's Gate 3.

When most games, even some of our favorites, will occupy us for at most 40 or 50 hours, some manage to sink their hooks in for much (sometimes *much*) longer. Why is that? What is it about the designs of these games, the cadence, the core loops, that make us keep coming back again and again? What can game designers learn from the games have this kind of replayability, and how might we go about applying these lessons to our own games? Show Notes 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:10 - Joel #10: The Surge 2 00:09:50 - Tim #10: Truck Simulator 00:20:30 - Joel #9: Cyberpunk 2077 00:25:48 - Tim #9: X-COM 2 00:33:00 - Joel #8: Halo Infinite 00:37:27 - Tim #7: Baldur's Gate 3 00:49:50 - Joel #6: Assassin's Creed Origins / Odyssey / Valhalla 01:00:05 - Tim #6 / Joel #7: Call Of Duty / Warzone 01:05:44 - Joel #5: Fallout 4 01:18:28 - Tim #5: Microsoft Flight Simulator 01:23:00 - Joel #4: Jedi Survivor (with Sifu tangent) 01:35:00 - Tim #4: Civilization 5 01:42:07 - Tim #3: Valhelm 01:47.22 - Joel #2 / Tim #8: Red Dead Redemption 2 01:55:00 - Tim #2: Kerbal Space Program 02:01:06 - Tim + Joel #1: Hunt: Showdown 02:08:52 - Analysis and closing thoughts  

In part two of our conversation with Nic Tringali, we go deeper into their development process. Design and prototyping, testing, setting victory conditions, and the delightful old-school addition to the game: the manual. 00:00:00 - Theme - how did the look come together? Concept of cathedrals stretching through time. 00:04:20 - Worldbuilding, problems with history 00:07:00 - Dramatic play, victory conditions. Surviving to tell a story, rather than survival as an inherently interesting goal. 00:17:40 - Development: transitioning from John Wick: Hex and Arcsmith, managing stress. 00:26:17 - Design and prototyping, planning features, play testing, development timeline 00:41:10 - The manual: The Banished Vault has an accompanying manual in the old style, the kind that used to ship with every game. What was the thinking behind this? 00:51:48 - Where to find Nic

Nic Tringali - The Banished Vault Nic Tringali is a game designer for Bithell Games. Their recent release The Banished Vault (published by Bithell Games' Lunar Division) is a gothic space-faring exploration and survival game, released on July 25th to very positive reviews. We talk with Nic about their early gaming inspirations, before getting into the gameplay mechanics of The Banished Vault.

 00:00:00 - Introduction - Life post-launch, how did you get into games 00:04:00 - Influential early games - Morrowind, Stuntman 00:09:20 - Board games and their cross-pollenation with video games 00:14:57 - Complexity and planning in The Banished Vault: space mechanics 00:32:21 - Complexity budget: how did Nic decide which choices were interesting for the player, and where to put the complexity? 00:37:30 - What kind of player did they have in mind? 00:39:40 - The aesthetics of The Banished Vault: art and sound 00:47:01 - Where to find Nic

Josh Sawyer of Obsidian Entertainment has one of the more robust CVs in game design: Iceland Dale 1 and 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 and most recently, the highly-praised historical role-playing game Pentiment. We focus on various aspects of the production of Pentiment: avoiding burnout, drawing from meticulously-researched historical material, dealing with religion (both as a nexus of temporal power and a daily spiritual presence in peoples lives), as well as covering gameplay and narrative aspects. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:00 - Life post-Pentiment, comparison with the aftermath of Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire 00:04:20 - Managing production stress and preventing burnout, for individuals and for teams 00:06:50 - Balancing personal vision, and the requirements of publishers. For their next project, team morale will be the number one priority. 00:08:30 - Allowing team members to play to their strengths. 00:11:30 - Dealing with history and religion as opposed to fantasy worlds. Engaging with "microhistory" as opposed to top-down, ruler-first historiography; examining the daily lives of the people of an era. 00:16:56 - The difference between taking inspiration from history and literature, as opposed to games that draw primarily on other games. 00:21:26 - Religion in Pentiment: "I consider myself an atheist but, like, who cares." The personal nature of characters' engagements with God, the Devil, spirituality, and the church as a political entity. 00:31:41 - The politics of power in Pentiment 00:43:02 - Gameplay and narrative consequences in Pentiment - major (plot-altering) and minor (aesthetic, dramatic, personal) 00:50:50 - Contrasting this kind of design in Pentiment with consequences in the final act of Deadfire 00:51:50 - Dramatic immersion in Pentiment: keeping the dramatic intimacy through rituals and role-playing mini-games.

Tim and Joel return after a hiatus for the first episode of 2023. We talk about the future direction of the podcast - which, now that Tim's own game development projects are picking up steam - will involve a more design-focussed approach to looking at games. With this in mind, we go into the differences between three games: The Wolf Among Us (2013), Disco Elysium (2019) and Pentiment (2022). All these games have strong narratives and great writing, but the latter two incorporate these elements into gameplay in a way that Wolf doesn't. Tim goes into his adventures in solo game development, making a working orbital model in C++. 00:00 Intro to new season 01:50 Games purely as entertainment vs Games criticism bearing the weight of other media 00:04:48 What have we been playing? 00:06:00 Steam Deck for traveling and multiplayer 00:10:40 The Wolf Among Us 00:18:14 Disco Elysium on Steam Deck 00:21:09 Which games have affected you? 00:26:39 Venue 00:30:00 Pentiment / Disco Elysium 01:14:03 Godot game dev: C++ and orbital mechanics 01:24:53 GPT-4 and the benefits of AI for the lone dev 01:35:25 Kerbal Space Program and the challenge of making complex problems fun for the user 01:42:27 Narrative elements express themselves out of the mechanics that are happening 01:48:22 Socials

Part two of our conversation goes deeper into the mechanics, narrative and design of Hardspace: Shipbreaker, from its genesis as the winner of an internal company game jam, to early access on Steam, to its full release last year. Elliot talks about wanting to explore the idea of “dangerous labor”, to immerse the player in a blue collar experience, to “honor the work” - the skill, the camaraderie, the consequences and the tensions between workers and bosses.

Elliot Hudson is the game director for Hardspace: Shipbreaker, and was a senior designer for Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak. In part one of our two-part conversation, he talks about his beginnings in gaming, from sketching Mario Bros 2 levels out on paper, to making flash games while studying film, to switching to studying game design full time, and finally getting a job at Blackbird - first as a programmer and later as a designer. He talks about the his journey with Blackbird from working on the canceled project Hardware, to Deserts of Kharak, Blackbird's entry into the much beloved Homeworld Series, and finally to the conceptually and narratively unique Hardspace: Shipbreaker - one of our favorite games of 2022.

There's no one quite like Rami Ismail: game developer, pilot, industry ambassador, consultant. Any one of these could be a full career and somehow Rami does them all. Formerly one half of hit indie studio Vlambeer, he has used his success to advocate for change in the industry for the last decade, traveling the world with a focus on advancing game development in countries where the gaming industry doesn't have the same foothold. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about his experiences with these communities and the specific challenges they face - cultural, economic, linguistic - and the wealth of story and experience that goes unheeded as a result. We also talk about game engines, changes in the industry, and (inevitably) the problems of late-stage capitalism.

“Imagine you're writing a book and occasionally, when someone turns the page, all the letters fall off the page.” Tim and Joel interview Stephen Danton, who developed the excellent Unto the End with his wife Sara. Stephen talks about his career, and the range of experience he brought to bear in the making of his first big game. We cover various aspects of video game development. Unto the End Dark Souls Guacamelee Stray Dead Cells Mark of the Ninja Another World Flashback Below Rainworld Highfleet Thief God of War Miasmata Death Stranding Somerville

Tim and Joel look again at Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic, a game whose complexity allows for a more nuanced set of mechanics which make it a more “honest” city-building experience, as opposed to the sanitized colonialist and capitalist assumptions of many recent offerings in the genre. Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic Sim City 2000 Cities: Skylines Anno 1800 Factorio

Tim and Joel look at the delightful Unto the End, an action-adventure game made by the small team at 2 Ton Studios. It is a masterclass in minimalist game design - art, sound, narrative and gameplay mechanics. We give particular attention to the combat mechanics - which are some of the best we've encountered in any game - scrappy and tactical, consistently challenging. We look at why the challenges here are so much more compelling to us than the popular Dark Souls series - which has been much lauded for its combat mechanics. Games mentioned: Unto the End Dark Souls Sekiro Chivalry 2 Assassin's Creed Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order Lonely Mountains: Downhill Nidhogg

Having played some “deck-builder” games, Tim and Joel break down the mechanics and aesthetics of card games. We look primarily at Inscryption and Fights in Tight Spaces, and go on to discuss UI and combat strategy mechanics. Games mentioned: Inscryption Fights in tight places Banner Saga Into the Breach Nantucket Battle Brothers

Tim and Joel take apart Hardspace: Shipbreaker, space-junking game with an anti-capitalist spirit. We examine the ways in which narrative is subtly threaded through gameplay. Games mentioned: Hardspace: Shipbreaker Norco Dead Space

Tim gives his first impressions of the trailblazing Steam Deck - which brings PC computing power to the handheld gaming experience. Having sampled several games on the platform, he has settled on Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic (aka Soviet Concrete Simulator). What differentiates it from other city-builders?   Microsoft Flight Simulator Witcher 3 Battletech Rimworld Cleopatra Pharaoh Cities Skylines Tropico 5 Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic Hardspace: Shipbreaker Dyson sphere Program Satisfactory Factorio

In part two of our look at Norco we expand on some of the first episode's observations, discussing specific plot points. Mentioned: Musée des Beaux Arts (poem) - WH Auden

Norco is a real achievement in video game storytelling - beautifully written and scored. It is a game we will both remember for a long time. In this episode we talk (spoiler-free) about the game and its relationship to the cyberpunk genre. Next week we go into greater depth, with spoilers.   Games mentioned: Norco Monkey Island Kentucky Route Zero Deus Ex Disco Elysium Cyberpunk 2077 Cloudpunk Shadowrun Beneath/Beyond a Steel Sky

Following last week's music episode, this week we talk with our guests Phil Tucker and Damian Gibson about our more personal experiences with music in video games, from childlike glee to more complicated adult emotions.  We discuss some of the earlier music-producing technologies, composition techniques, and memorable examples from the best of the medium. Games mentioned: Donkey Kong Country Digger  Mario Red Dead Redemption Halo Doom Lemmings Zelda Spy vs Spy Goldeneye Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Hellcats over the Pacific Homeworld Curse of Monkey Island Norco FTL Beatles Rock Band The Long Dark Red Dead Redemption 2 Nantucket Deathloop GTA 5 American Truck Simulator

A very special episode this week: friends of the show Phil Tucker and Damian Gibson - Joel's former radio-show co-hosts - join us to talk about music in games. Damian is the host of the podcasts WrestleWolf and Agents of Narrative. Phil - who made the music for the pod - was a touring musician for 10 years, and now works as a composer. In the first of two podcasts, we talk about the function of music in games, and indulge in some reminiscing.   Games mentioned: Hypnospace outlaw Mario Guardians of the Galaxy FTL Crypt of the Necrodancer Night in the Woods Yakuza The Artful Escape Red Dead Redemption 2 EVE Online

Tim's been reading Alexis Kennedy, which springboards this week's titular discussion. Many games are enjoyable at the time of playing - which games are we glad to have played once we've put them down? And why? Games mentioned: Fallen London Sunken Sea Cultist Simulator Red Dead Redemption 2 Assassin's Creed Far Cry Sagebrush Paratopic What Remains of Edith Finch Norco Curse of Monkey Island Pillars of Eternity Baldur's Gate Disco Elysium Kentucky Route Zero Beyond Good and Evil Splinter Cell Sea of Thieves Kerbal Space Program Microsoft Flight Simulator

We wanted to wait until we finished Norco before we talked about it, but it made such an impression that we have to talk about it here. But the bulk of the episode concerns the recent title Weird West, the extent to which it did and didn't live up to our (admittedly unrealistic) expectations, and what its success might mean for the immersive sim.   Games Mentioned: Norco Microsoft Flight Simulator Weird West Dishonored Prey Hitman Red Dead Redemption 2 Cyperpunk 2077 Wasteland 3 Desperados 3

Inspired by Tim's adventures in Microsoft Flight Simulator, we talk about gameplay mechanisms which make simulations compelling: the dramatic loop of player agency, planning, mission choice, the minutiae of the mechanical gameplay, and the way these elements cohere. We juxtapose this with games like far Cry 5 - whose gameplay, while satisfying in isolation, doesn't build to anything, and doesn't feel tied to it's particular gameplay universe. Microsoft Flight Simulator Truck Simulator Train Simulator Elite dangerous Space Engineers Valheim Far Cry 5 Red Dead Redemption 2 Highfleet

After multiple delays - most notably due to the Colorado fires which burned down half of Tim's town - we return to talk video games again.  This season's format will be less focussed on specific aspects of gaming and be more general. We found that playing several iterations of the same kind of game takes something vital away from the ludic experience. In this episode we talk about some of the games (past and future) that have captured our attention, and touch on the tension between graphical fidelity and ludic diversity as methods for immersing the player. Games mentioned: • Highfleet • Hitman • Halo • Dishonored • Deathloop • Red Dead 2 • Death Stranding • Weird West • Wasteland 3 • Cyberpunk 2077 • Project Zomboid • FTL • Hunt Showdown

Following our look at the Civilization games in the previous episode, Tim and Joel look at the Paradox strategy games and The Sims. In contrast to the Civilization games, Paradox has shown signs of greater engagement with some of the more troubling historical issues that games about colony-building have generally failed to adequately address. And despite its superficially bourgeoise aesthetic, the Sims has provided its audience with a genuine diversity of ludic expressions.   Games mentioned:   The Paradox strategy games: Stellaris, Euopa Universalis, Victoria Scavengers The Sims

Tim and Joel look at the Civilization games. We examine the way that, in every iteration, their systems have failed go beyond a view of the world rooted in capitalist realism.   Games mentioned:   Civilization series Red Dead Redemption

Tim and Joel look at different ways of experiencing games, how input and interface can shape an aesthetic experience. We look at simple tweaks like removing the mini-map in Red Dead Redemption 2, and examine a team of developers using old-style telephones as voice-activated input devices.   Games mentioned:   The Last of Us 2 Crusader Kings 3 Dwarf Fortress Red Dead Redemption 2 Valheim Disco Elysium Dead Space Metro Series Far Cry 2 Hunt: Showdown The Walking Dead The Witcher Radio commander Suzerain

Tim and Joel catch up on some of the games they've sampled over the last few weeks. We go over some preliminary thoughts on UI and UX, and talk about the stunning graphical improvements of PCVR.   Games played:   The Ascent ShadowRun CyberPunk 2077 Deus Ex Elite Dangerous Half Life 1 Return to Castle Wolfenstein Doom 3 Lunar Lander Lunar Flight Kerbal Space Program Crusader Kings 3 Lone Echo Truck Simulator Battle Brothers Microsoft Flight Simulator Suzerain Banished

Tim and Joel continue last week's conversation about systemic games. We look at the medieval sandbox game Crusader Kings 3, and Tim goes into his playthrough of Nantucket. We also look at games that come close to being systemic, employing complex systems, but end up relying on authored narratives.   Games mentioned:   Crusader Kings 3 Civilization 6 Nantucket Disco Elysium Total War Sim City Hardspace Shipbreaker Battle Brothers Per Aspera Red Dead Redemption 2 The Witcher 3 Zelda

Tim and Joel return from a hiatus with a look at the emergent narrative dynamics of narrative strategy games, beginning with a look at Overhype Studios' Battle Brothers.   Games mentioned:   Rimworld Crusader Kings 3 Dwarf Fortress Battle Brothers

Tim and Joel finalize their thoughts - for now - about the survival genre.   We are shifting to a new format! In future we will take hiatuses to prepare for genre/thematic groupings. The first hiatus begins now - we will return in a few weeks to talk about colony builder and narrative strategy games.   Games mentioned:   Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China Hollow Knight Mark of the Ninja Prince of Persia Nidhogg Hunt Showdown Hood: Outlaws and Legends Truck Simulator Population One Halo Space Engineers Valheim Deep Rock Galactic The Long Dark Dayz Scum Ark The Last of Us Spec Ops: The Line Red Dead Redemption 2

Last week, Tim and Joel asked: What are we Surviving for? This week we look at a different kind of survival game, Space Engineers. The focus here is less on the immediate human elements of survival and more on resource gathering, building and eventually interplanetary travel. We then look at gameplay dynamics that are fundamental to enjoying a survival game: desperation, tension and release.   Games Mentioned:   Space Engineers Valheim The Long Dark MineCraft DayZ Scum

Run, fight, craft, build, eat, survive. Cooperate or kill. But why? Joel and Tim begin to look at games that answer this question satisfactorily, and ones that don't.     Games mentioned:     Dwarf fortress Valheim DayZ Rust Fallout Deus Ex The Forest Ark: Survival Evolved Subnautica Eco Neo Scavenger The Long Dark

Tim and Joel introduce some of the fundamentals of the survival genre: environmental pressure, crafting, building, multiplayer. We explore some of the different survival experiences these games are attempting to convey, and the way various games succeed or fail in delivering those experiences.     Games mentioned:   Roblox The Source Tropico 6 Valheim Minecraft Hunt: Showdown Escape from Tarkov DayZ Assassin's Creed Odyssey The Long Dark Far Cry Ark Red Dead redemption 2 Green Hell Scum Space Engineers

Tim and Joel cover a selection of news items. We begin by looking at some of the corporate moves being made, from streaming and subscription models to acquisitions of smaller companies. This turns into a wider discussion about art and capitalism. Finally we look at the changing demographics of gaming, in light of the news that adult women are now the industry's largest demographic.   Games mentioned:   Paratopic Adios Outriders Firewatch Animal Crossing Breath of the Wild Pikuniku Tonight We Riot

After the recent narrative deep dive, Tim and Joel catch up on what we've been playing. Large doses of Valheim, the dumb fun of Outriders, and some other survival games in preparation for our upcoming look at the genre. Tim goes into the community-based civilizational survival game Eco, and the Mars planet builder Per Aspera.   Games mentioned:   Valheim Outriders The Surge 2 Gears of War The Technomancer Greedfall Hunt: Showdown Call of Duty: Warzone Genesis Noir Per Aspera Offworld Trading Company Scum Dayz Deep Rock Galactic Eco Frostpunk Unravel 2 Pikuniku

In Part One, Tim and Joel looked at how procedural generation can aid or detract from video game narrative. This week, we look at artificial intelligence - a nascent field with immense possibilities. We look at the fundamental difference between AI and traditional systems, and explore the fascinating, dreamlike storytelling experience of AI Dungeon. Games mentioned: Microsoft Flight Simulator. No Man's Sky Minecraft AI Dungeon The Sims ELIZA

Tim and Joel begin with a discussion of games we recently played. We highlight the problems of returning to grand narrative games like Mafia 3, and the possibilities of player-defined narratives, before looking at procedural generation and its role in game narrative construction, looking at Minecraft and our recent favorite, Valheim.   Games mentioned: Mafia 3 Valheim Breath of the Wild Signs of the Sojourner The Witcher 3 Slay the Spire FTL Darkest Dungeon Minecraft Seedship Rogue

The systems a game employs to create a narrative or experience are an expression of the way the developers see the world. After looking in depth at Dwarf Fortress last week, Tim and Joel note the different systems in Stardew Valley and Farming Simulator, both ostensibly games about farming. We then move on to discuss The Sims and Crusader Kings 3, and how they use their systems to illustrate different aspects of human experience.   Sim City/The Sims Banished Frostpunk Stardew Valley Farming Simulator Train Simulator Europa Universalis Victoria Hearts of Iron Crusader Kings 2 Crusader Kings 3. Civilization This War of Mine Hardspace Shipbreaker

Tim and Joel look at the way systemic games allow players to create stories. After a brief digression into the mechanics of character creation, we look once again at Dwarf Fortress, and its unique ability to generate story through its systems.   Games mentioned:   The Witcher 3 Mass Effect ADOM: Ancient Domains of Mystery Disco Elysium Dwarf Fortress Rimworld

Following from last week's episode, Tim and Joel begin by looking at Kentucky Route Zero, which does interesting things with narrative interactivity - positioning the player as stage director rather than performer. We talk about the ways games suggest ways of playing through creative constraint, with reference to the stress system in Crusader Kings 3. Finally we talk about narrative reconstruction, wherein the focus of the player's experience is to put the game's story together, in Outer Wilds and The Flower Collectors.   Games mentioned:   Kentucky Route Zero Disco Elysium Crusader Kings 3 Civilization Outer Wilds The Flower Collectors

Tim and Joel examine the difference between passively experiencing and actively performing or participating in narrative, and the different degrees to which games make that participation meaningful. We begin by looking at branching narrative, with reference to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, a game that takes narrative divergence in bold directions. We briefly examine the dynamics of what makes us choose various character actions in games, take a brief look at romance in games, and look once again at Disco Elysium -- one of the best expressions of these principles so far.   Games mentioned:   The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Dishonored Cyberpunk 2077 Mass Effect Trilogy Fallout 1 Firewatch Baldur's Gate 2 Disco Elysium Fallout 2

Tim and Joel begin by discussing Kentucky Route Zero, a "postmodern capitalist horror story", before looking deeper at the relationship between game mechanics and narrative. We examine cinematic storytelling, environmental storytelling, and environment as art. Finally we look at dialogue and dialectic in games.   Games mentioned: Middle Earth Shadow of War Kentucky Route Zero Disco Elysium Inside Hardspace Shipbreaker 2020 Game Super Meat Boy Dragon's Lair Bioshock Firewatch Hitman What Remains of Edith Finch Mario Donkey Kong Ultrawings VR Half Life Deus Ex Hunt: Showdown Vampyr Witcher 3 Monkey Island Morrowind Fallout The Outer Worlds Arkham Asylum

Tim and Joel begin with a discussion of ludonarrative dissonance -- when the act of playing a game is in conflict with the story or theme it is trying to portray. We look at specific examples of dissonance like the achievement system in Red Dead Redemption 2 and the crafting system in The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. We also look at simple narrative imbalance in Death Stranding. And finally, we look at games that foreground story but don't do enough with gameplay, such as the token interactivity of some of David Cage's creations, or the various Telltale game series. We then look at the peculiar case of Cyberpunk 2077, and analyze some of its failures. Whereas CD Projekt Red's previous game The Witcher 3 was a high point in video game storytelling, Cyberpunk attempted to do far more with narrative, but to much lesser effect. We discuss the litany of ways in which it failed to deliver on its promise, despite its excellent writing and compelling aesthetic. Games Discussed: Far Cry 2 Watch Dogs Legion Tomb Raider Outer Wilds Papers Please Wolfenstein The New Colossus Red Dead Redemption 2 Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners Night in the Woods Fahrenheit Heavy Rain The Last of Us 2 Death Stranding Disco Elysium Kentucky Route Zero Tacoma GTA 4 GTA 5 Cyberpunk 2077 Witcher 3 Shadowrun Returns Deus Ex

This is the first look at aspects of narrative for Season Two, building on our examination of narrative in episodes 4-7 of Season One. Joel and Tim begin with a brief discussion of the inherent tensions between seriousness and play, with reference to The Last of Us 2 and Death Stranding. We talk about playing pretend, and the ways in which a game experience is co-authored by the player - we are actor as well as audience. Whereas early games tended to use story as merely premise, we look at two modern examples of games that that tell stories in ways only video games can: What Remains of Edith Finch and Disco Elysium. Games Mentioned: The Last of Us 2 Death Stranding Arkham City Fe European Truck Simulator 2 What Remains of Edith Finch Disco Elysium Baldur's Gate Beat Saber GTA Mafia 3 Firewatch Cyberpunk 2077

In this first episode, Joel and Tim discuss the games they played over the break, on Xbox, PC and the newly released Oculus Quest 2. They talk about the revelations of VR, and the initial strangeness of adjusting from regular gaming, and potential the directions for the medium in gaming and beyond. Tim breaks down the procedural generation technology in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and discusses what it might mean for the future of gaming. Games mentioned: VR: Vader Immortal Population One The Walking Dead Myst Regular: The Surge 2 UFC 3 Myst (Original) Microsoft Flight Simulator Disco Elysium

In this short intro, Tim and Joel give a preview of what's coming over the course of Seria Ludo, Season 2.

In this episode, Tim and Joel conclude their list of most impactful games played in 2020. Again, these aren't all games made this year, but they are all games that impacted us deeply over the course of the last twelve months. Awards List, Part 2: Deus Ex: Human Revolution got “best immersive sim” from Joel. Objects in Space got “most intense space game” from Tim. Mark of the Ninja got “best stealth game” from Joel. Where the Water Tastes Like Wine got “most unique gameplay experience” from Tim Call of Duty: Warzone got “most splodey” from both Tim and Joel; or at least, the version of it wherein we run exploding crossbows and rocket launchers in Plunder mode does. Katana Zero and Ghostrunner got “best pick up and play” from Joel. Return of the Obra Dinn got “most intricate / best document UI” from Tim. Both Elite: Dangerous and Hardspace: Shipbreaker got special mentions this year as games we spent an enormous amount of time in and enjoyed greatly (and have discussed a great deal in our space game and UI episodes). To no one's surprise at all, our Game of the Year for 2020 is Hunt: Showdown. Not only is it a great game from a purely critical standpoint, but in an age of quarantine and lockdown, it is the one game that has been great for both our friendship and our sanity through round after round (and squad wipe after squad wipe).

In this episode, Joel and Tim talk about the games that left the biggest impact on them over the course of 2020 (even though many of these games were made in earlier years). The list is continued in part 2. Award List, Part 1: Technomancer gets "best combat system" and "best bang-for-the-buck game world experience" from Joel. Pikuniku gets "best-hearted" and "most hilariously partnership-testing" from Tim. Inside gets "most pure gaming experience" from Joel and "most unsettlingly emotional" from Tim. Assassin's Creed Syndicate gets "best non-committal timesuck" (with some serious caveats that this is more addictive than it is good) from Joel. Red Dead Redemption 2 gets "most immersive" from Tim. Dying Light gets "best open world movement" from Joel. American Truck Simulator and European Truck Simulator 2 get "most therapeutic" from Tim. Farcry 5 gets "most annoying / most spineless" from both Tim and Joel. Sagebrush also gets a mention here, as a great indie title that actually engages with cult mentality, unlike the lukewarm mess that is Farcry 5's sad excuse for a setting.

In this episode, Tim and Joel discuss how UI that limits the information and actions of the player can be dramatically useful, as seen in the tense radio interactions of Radio Commander, the manual navigation system in Miasmata, and the text-message-like interface of Lifeline. We also talk about how, beyond the pragmatic information/action axis of UI, a good interface can also provide players with a sense of ritual. Games Discussed Miasmata Radio Commander Lifeline Duskers Technomancer One Hour, One Life Silent Hunter Crusader Kings 3 Star Traders Civilization 6 Black and White

In this episode, we talk about UI's ability to embody the player into the character they are playing. We talk about what that means for classic adventure games, action games, and immersive sims, and talk a bit about the potential for both embodiment in VR, and in the real world. Games discussed: Technomancer Hunt: Showdown Hardspace: Shipbreaker Elite Dangerous American and European Truck Simulator 2 Dead by Daylight Void Bastards Objects in Space