A series of in-depth conversations between video game makers on the business and craft of interactive entertainment, exploring the core tenants of D.I.C.E. (Design. Innovate. Communicate. Entertain.) Hosted by Ted Price from Insomniac Games, Robin Hunicke from Funomena, and Composer Austin Wintory.
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
Listeners of The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook that love the show mention: games, industry, insight, great.
The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in gaining an insider's perspective on the video game industry. Hosted by Ted Price, this podcast offers a deep dive into the various aspects of game design and development through interviews with industry professionals. From composers to game designers, each episode provides a unique and thought-provoking look at the industry from multiple angles.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the wide range of guests that are featured. Austin's interviews with fellow composers stand out as personal favorites, as they provide fascinating insights into the creative process behind video game music. However, every episode is filled with valuable information and engaging conversations with industry giants. Whether you're interested in art, sound design, narrative development, or any other aspect of game design, there is something for everyone on this podcast.
Another great aspect is the thoughtful crafting of each episode. The discussions are focused and informative, giving listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the business and development processes that go into creating the games we enjoy today. Ted does an excellent job as a host in maintaining a cohesive and engaging discussion throughout each episode.
While it can be difficult to find any major faults with this podcast, one potential downside may be that it caters more towards gamers who have a deeper interest in understanding the intricacies of game development. Casual gamers may not find as much appeal in some episodes, as they delve into technical details that may not be as accessible to those unfamiliar with game design terminology.
In conclusion, The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook podcast is an exceptional resource for anyone looking to gain insights into the video game industry from multiple perspectives. With its diverse lineup of guests and thoughtful discussions, this podcast provides invaluable information for aspiring game developers and enthusiasts alike. Whether you listen during your daily commute or use it as food for thought during quiet moments, following this podcast series should be on every gamer's new year's resolution list.
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Jennifer English, best known for her iconic roles in games like Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate III, and Sandfall Interactive's debut smash hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Together they discuss her prior career in classical theater as well as her previous work in games leading up to playing Maelle in Expedition 33; working with the development team and which practices she finds helpful in the booth; embodying a character and viewing the world through their eyes; the complex emotions actors feel when portraying difficult scenes; and what kinds of roles she hopes to play in the future. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with Tonda Ros, the creator of the mind bending puzzle roguelike, Blue Prince. Together they discuss his prior career navigating the film industry and how he found himself creating his first game; the early tools and resources that helped him get started; brining in additional team members and what that meant for the project timeline; and the significant influence board games had on the game's design. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with brothers Adam and Seth Coster of indie studio, Butterscotch Shenanigans, who recently released Crashlands 2, the sequel to their hit debut release. Together they discuss their story of 3 brothers working in different fields who came together to make games; the mistakes and lessons they learned while building the studio; how their brother Sam's cancer diagnosis led to them diving into developing the original Crashlands; how they solved the marketing problem common to indie studios and how that led to their debut success; and the tools and procedures they created to help them efficiently move from concept to playable implementation. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Carrie Patel, the Game Director on Obsidian Entertainment's Avowed. Together they discuss how the team worked within the Pillars of Eternity universe while expanding the world and characters; transitioning the gameplay from an isometric RPG to a focus on first person action; writing memorable companions; and the complexities of real relationships and how that affected their decision to avoid romance options. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Mike Laidlaw, Chief Creative Officer at Yellow Brick Games. Together they discuss his career developing role-playing games including his role as Creative Director on the Dragon Age franchise; the development of his new studio's first release, Eternal Strands; creating the physics based combat system; the key pillars for the world and story design; and the importance of identifying what it takes to finish a project. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with Johan Pilestedt, the Game Director on Arrowhead Game Studios' smash-hit, HELLDIVERS™ 2. Together they discuss his path in games that led to the founding of Arrowhead alongside his classmates in Sweden; the development and release of their first title, Magicka; the original ideas around that laid the foundation for the Helldivers universe; their ideas around game design; and the ups and downs of the 7 year development journey of HELLDIVERS™ 2. Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with actor Troy Baker. Together they discuss his award winning performance as Indiana Jones in MachineGames's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle; his biggest challenges in playing an iconic character; lessons he learned from his past projects that informed his preparation and performance; and the difference between a performance being simple versus boring. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with game designer Tom Francis of Suspicious Developments, developers of hit indie tactical strategy games like Gunpoint, Heat Signature, and Tactical Breach Wizards. Together they discuss how Tom went from games journalism to game development; his ideas around challenge and difficulty; weaving gameplay with narrative; and his thoughts and advice on playtesting. Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Correia chats with actor Nhi Do, who starred in Sunset Visitor's debut narrative adventure, 1000xRESIST. Together they discuss her background in theater and how she landed her first part in video games; finding the entry point when playing a new character; the catharsis of finishing a project; and the importance of compartmentalization while getting our of your comfort zone. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Adam Orth chats with MachineGames' Jens Andersson and Axel Torvenius about their critically acclaimed title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Together they discuss why they decided to make an Indiana Jones game in first person; the importance of introducing players to the Indiana Jones world by recreating the iconic opening scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark; and Troy Baker's award winning and Harrison Ford approved performance as Indiana Jones. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Correia chats with actor Suzie Yeung. Together they discuss how she got her start acting in games; her performance as Yuffie Kisaragi in the recent reboot of FINAL FANTASY VII; her extensive work in the anime industry; the process and differences in recording for animation versus games; how she prepared for her performance as Yuffie; and her advice for young voice actors beginning their careers. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with Insomniac Games' Ted Price. Ted recently announced his retirement from the games industry and received the 2025 AIAS Hall of Fame award at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. In this conversation, Ted recalls his life in game development as the co-founder and president of Insomniac Games from key projects and career milestones to lessons learned and his ideas for the future of games. Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Xsolla is a leading global video game commerce company with a robust and powerful set of tools and services designed specifically for the industry. Since its founding in 2005, Xsolla has helped thousands of game developers and publishers of all sizes fund, market, launch, and monetize their games globally and across multiple platforms. To learn more, please visit: xsolla.com This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Shuhei Yoshida chats with Team ASOBI Studio Director Nicolas Doucet. Together they discuss his journey in game development from his early days in QA to his move to work at Japan Studio; building Team ASOBI to work on the emerging technology within SIE; the origins and development of Astro Bot; and how they worked with publishers around the world to represent their characters within the world of Astro Bot. Episode Host: Shuhei Yoshida Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Odd Meter Studio Director, Dmitry Svetlow. Together they discuss the development of INDIKA including the origins and inspirations behind the haunting narrative; how they built the team and what it takes to be part of a small indie studio; their use of juxtaposition between dark and playful imagery; and balancing how much they reveal to the player and which questions they choose to answer. Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Adam Orth chats with Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. Together they discuss his early life with computing and how he first created Tetris; his ideas behind real-time versus turn-based puzzle design; ideas he scrapped from early development; distributing Tetris outside of the Soviet Union; his work on titles outside of Tetris and the pressure his first creation put on his subsequent work; and what he hopes for the future of Tetris. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Trent Kusters chats with Freehold Games' Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinbalt about their a science fantasy roguelike, Caves of Qud. Together they discuss the 17 year development journey to 1.0; developing the engine and systems that drive their game; their thoughts around modular design; balancing bespoke and procedural content; and the personal and professional challenges and lessons they experienced over the extended development period. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Austin Wintory chats with Audio Director Aldo Sampaio, with whom he recently collaborated together with on the newly released Eternal Strands. They discuss Aldo's journey in game development including his work on the Assassin's Creed franchise; what he learned from working in AAA game development; how they came together at Yellow Brick Games to create the sound and music for the studios debut title. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Austin Wintory Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Greg Rice chats with James Carbutt and Will Todd from Coal Supper. Together they discuss growing up in Yorkshire in Northern England, how they first got together and began developing games; what they learned from their early projects; the British influences behind Thank Goodness You're Here; and the intricacies of writing humor for video games. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Greg Rice Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Anne, Douglas, and Nate Austin from Worldwalker Games, developers of Wildermyth. Together they discuss how they started creating games together; the inspirations behind the story and gameplay of Wildermyth; how to create iconic and memorable characters in procedural experiences; the differences between writing for procedural generation compared to a traditional campaign; and how to handle early access as a narrative focused game. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Remy Siu and Pinki Li from Sunset Visitor to talk about their D.I.C.E. Award nominated game, 1000xRESIST. Together they discuss how they met and transitioned from live performance to creating video games; the real life inspirations behind the narrative design; how desperation can lead to great choices; and how theater influenced their approach to game design and storytelling. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Alexa Ray Corriea chats with writers Ashley Poprik and Chris Holzworth. Together they discuss how they each started their careers and the titles they've worked on; the pressure of writing on a massively popular and long running franchise like Call of Duty; giving every developer the chance to be a storyteller; the differences between writing for single player and multiplayer; and the difficulty in referencing conspiracy theories with contemporary audiences. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
Austin Wintory chats with David Garcia, Audio Director at Ninja Theory. Together they discuss his life growing up in Spain and studying music; his life as a composer and his musical work on games such as Rime; how he joined the sound team at Ninja Theory; and how they created the haunting audio behind the Hellblade series. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Austin Wintory Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Adam Orth chats with Rebecca Ford, Creative Director at Digital Extremes. Together they discuss how she got started in games and when she first joined Digital Extremes; her work with the Warframe community; her transition into the Creative Director role and thoughts on leadership; lessons you can learn by acknowledging failure; and the long history of Warframe and how they've kept it going all these years. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Jun Shen Chia chats with Brian Kwek, founder and owner of boutique indie publisher Ysbryd Games. Together they discuss their catalog of games such as VA-11 HALL-A and World of Horror, as well as the upcoming Love Eternal; the challenges and strategies they employ to reach potential customers; the importance of attending trade shows; how they work together with developers to help complete projects; and Brian's thoughts on the state of game dev in Southeast Asia. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with composer Piotr Musial. Together they discuss his career including his multiple collaborations with 11bit Studios from This War of Mine to the Frostpunk series; the differences between dynamic and linear scores; working with live orchestras and unique instruments; and how the increase in scale from This War of Mine to Frostpunk 2 affects how he approaches music. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Adam Orth chats with CEO & Co-Owner of IO Interactive, Hakan Abrak. Together they discuss Hakan's journey in games; the history and future of the Hitman series; their unique approach to live service in single player games; how they're preparing for a post-pandemic development environment; and their upcoming projects in the 007 universe and their own original IP. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Creative Leader and Author Fawzi Mesmar. Together they discuss his career in games from mobile to AAA; the lessons he's learned along the way and how he applies them in his current leadership role; and the ideas he explores in his upcoming book, Demystifying Creativity On Originality in Game Development including his concept of creative sobriety and the importance of looking inward to create something truly original. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Marco Minoli, Director of Publishing at Slitherine. Together they discuss the world of licensing in video games; the benefits and opportunities that can be found; how deals are structured; how to collaborate with license holders; and then explore Slitherine's catalogue of games from consumer facing war games to war simulations used by defense departments in governments around the world. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Balatro creator LocalThunk. Together they discuss the early titles he created with his friends; the inspirations that led to Balatro; his ideas around design and balance; how real life experiences influenced the Joker designs; and the steps he's taking to ensure Balatro is never conflated with gambling. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with President of The Behemoth, John Baez. Together they discuss The Behemoth's 20+ year journey as an indie studio; their breakout hit during the early days of Xbox Live Arcade in Castle Crashers; how that success propelled them forward as a studio; the importance of trade shows for developing the relationship with their community; and the steps they've taken to stay truly independent as a company. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with composer Kenny Young. Together they discuss his career featuring several collaborations with Media Molecule on the Little Big Planet and Tearaway franchises all the way to his latest project, Team Asobi's galactic trek across PlayStation history, Astro Bot. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Chris Charla chats with industry veteran Jen MacLean. Together they discuss her journey in the games industry; what she's learned at each studio she's been a part of; the importance of the first hour in games; and what she thinks developers have to focus on to capture the attention of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Abby Howard and Tony Howard-Arias from Black Tabby Games, developers of Slay the Princess. Together they discuss their backgrounds in graphic novels before moving into games; how they approached writing for a game with many possible narrative choices; the technical hurdles they had to overcome; and the different ways that Slay the Princess handles the idea of intimacy. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Maria Cornelius, the Chief Product Officer for HELLDIVERS™ 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios. Together they discuss her life outside of games at Spotify and how she found herself at Paradox Interactive and then to Arrowhead; the profound impact mentoring programs have had on her career; the development of HELLDIVERS™ 2; the lessons they've learned from running one of the biggest live service titles of the year; and how they're working with the community to continue fighting the galactic war into the future. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Final Fantasy VII actor Briana White. Together they discuss the casting process and how she originally auditioned for both Tifa and Aerith; respecting the original Japanese performance by Maaya Sakamoto; how localization transforms the creative process; how she dealt with insecurity and imposter syndrome ahead of her performance; and what her next dream role would be. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Adam Orth chats with Dom Matthews, Studio Head of Senua's Saga: Hellblade II developer Ninja Theory. Together they discuss the history of Ninja Theory as a studio and the unique DNA found in their games; their mission of crafting life changing art with game changing tech; avoiding making games for "everyone" and finding their audience; becoming a part of Xbox Game Studios and feeling empowered; and the importance of having a studio culture of trust. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Derek Yu, Jon Perry, and Eirik Suhrke. Together they discuss how they collaborated along with other legendary indie developers to brainstorm the 50 games found in the retro-inspired collection, UFO 50; how important it was to have a core vision for each game, the creative decisions they made to fit within the limitations of the era; when they knew a game was finished; and how the long development time allowed them to start a game only to revisit it years later with fresh eyes and new skills. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Adam Orth chats with Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive. Together they discuss Tim's long tenure at id Software and his work on the Quake series; why after 23 years he decided to leave and join Saber; the development of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2; the importance of "finding the fun" early; the creation of the swarm technology behind the Tyranids; and how the success of Space Marine 2 has been transformative for the entire company. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Eric Monacelli, an executive producer at Marvel Games. Together they discuss his career working on the marketing and community side of some of gaming's biggest franchises including Bioshock, The Last of Us, and Call of Duty; the process of how development studios come to work with Marvel and what a successful collaboration looks like; the steps they take to maintain authenticity; and what it's like working with fan communities of established IP with high expectations. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with composer Jon Everist. Together this discuss how he transitioned from a career path in economics to composing music; his work with Harebrained Schemes across their library of games and his most recent contributions on Star Wars Outlaws; and how the concept of constraint can lead to creative freedom. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with award winning composer Mikolai Stroinski. Together they discuss his extensive work on the Witcher franchise for CD PROJEKT RED; his work on various projects both in and outside of games; the various influences that helped him score games across different genres; how his work on TV and film inform his compositions for games; and the tricks that composers and audio designers use to help guide players through their adventures. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Xbox's Jun Shen Chia chats with Kris Antoni, Founder of Toge Productions. Together they discuss the history of Toge including the release and reception of their hit indie game, Coffee Talk; what's next for the studio; the burgeoning development scene in Southeast Asia; and how Toge is working with studios in the region to help them reach audiences worldwide. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Alison Lührs, Narrative Director on Bungie's Destiny 2. Together they discuss her approach to writing for fantasy in the Dungeons & Dragons universe and now sci-fi for Destiny 2; the unique aspects of writing for live service games; how to start projects effectively; and how theater and improv have informed the way she writes. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with indie gaming business guru, Dan Adelman. Together they discuss his time at Xbox and Nintendo helping to start their digital content marketplaces; transitioning to working independently with game developers to help them launch and market their games; how he decides which developers and projects to work with; and his perspective on how the markets have shifted for indie games over his 20 years in the industry. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Austin Wintory chats with longtime Valve composer and music designer, Mike Morasky. Together they discuss how he started his career outside of music in the visual effects industry working on film series such as The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings; how he found himself pursuing music and then joining Valve; and his work across several of Valve's most memorable titles from Portal to Counter-Strike 2. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with Tynan Sylvester, creator of RimWorld and author of Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences. Together they discuss his ideas around development concepts and processes; how crystalizing those ideas in book form led to the creation of RimWorld; his ideas around core systems and how they lead to successful games; generating human stories with elastic failure; and the fundamental theory on why people play games. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Trent Kusters chats with brothers and co-founders of SFB Games, Adam & Tom Vian. Together they discuss how they began creating games in the early days of Flash and Newgrounds; transitioning to console development and working with Nintendo on the multi D.I.C.E. Award winning Snipperclips; the inspirations and development of Crow Country; and the secret to making games look and feel how we remember while avoiding the limits of the past. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Greg Rice chats with Aggro Crab developers Nick Kaman and Caelan Pollock about their recently released undersea soulslike, Another Crab's Treasure. Together they discuss how the team got started as a game design club in college; their first commercial project in Going Under; the early ideas that led to Another Crab's Treasure; avoiding the pitfalls of difficulty that players expect in the soulslike genre; and the nuance of discussing climate change as a central narrative theme. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by Xsolla Greg Rice chats with David Hellman, Nico Recabarren, and Nick Suttner of Furniture & Mattress, about their debut title as a studio, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. Together they discuss how the team got together; the ground rules they established for the puzzle designs; decisions around scope; and how they balanced gameplay and narrative elements. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
This episode is supported by: Xsolla Adam Orth chats with Matt Wood and Micah Breitweiser from Double Dagger Studio about their first tile as a studio, Little Kitty, Big City. Together they discuss how Little Kitty, Big City began as a teaching opportunity for Matt's children; the iterative nature of development and having malleable design pillars; the importance of scope and restraint; the conscious decision to direct players as little as possible; and the process of bringing the kitty to life and how Micah's career outside of games helped make that a reality. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation
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