Podcast appearances and mentions of trent kusters

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Best podcasts about trent kusters

Latest podcast episodes about trent kusters

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Navigating the Shifting Corridors of BLUE PRINCE with Creator Tonda Ros

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 119:59


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
How 3 Brothers Started a Game Studio - Butterscotch Shenanigans

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 67:53


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Creating the Super Earth of Helldivers 2 with Arrowhead's Johan Pilestedt

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 197:22


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Magic, Kevlar, and Conspiracies with Tactical Breach Wizards Dev Tom Francis

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 157:25


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Founder Ted Price Reflects on 30 Years of Insomniac Games and Retirement

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 83:20


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
17 Year Development Journey with Caves of Qud

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 143:09


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

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Sustainable Game Development with Xalavier Nelson Jr.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 74:31


Trent Kusters chats with Xalavier Nelson Jr., the studio head, writer, and creative director of titles such as El Paso Elsewhere, Space Warlord Orgran Trading Simulator, Clickolding, and the upcoming I Am Your Beast. Together they discuss Xalavier's ideas around sustainable game development such as the importance of prioritizing shipping projects on time and within scope; how giving players unique experiences keeps them coming back for the next game; and the challenges of their approach when pitching to potential partners.  Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. Donate to AIAS Foundation Sponsors: Xsolla iam8bit

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Making Animal Well as a Solo Game Developer with Billy Basso

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 224:49


Trent Kusters chats with Billy Basso about his solo-developed debut title, Animal Well. Together they discuss how the ideas and development of Animal Well first began; how he was able to work as a solo developer and the tools he created to help him along the way; how he went about designs the game's countless puzzles and animals; when he recognized he needed help with the business and marketing of releasing a commercial product; and the surreal experience of launching a title with an incredible critical and fan response.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Harold Halibut with Slow Bros' Onat Hekimoglu & Ole Tillmann

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 92:12


Trent Kusters chats with Onat Hekimoglu and Ole Tillmann from Slow Bros. Together they discuss the 14 year journey of their debut title, Harold Halibut; the history of the Slow Bros and how they went from college friends to a full-time game studio; the homemade photogrammetry technology they created to craft the stop-motion inspired look; and what they learned from their first release to help prepare for the next project. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Making a Sci-Fi First-Person Driving Survival Game with Alex Dracott & Seth Rosen

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 137:44


Trent Kusters chats with Ironwood Studios' Alex Dracott and Seth Rosen about their hit sci-fi first-person driving survival game, Pacific Drive. Together they discuss their journey including their work on AAA games; what led to them creating their own studio and the hurdles they had to jump through to get started; the origin of Pacific Drive and what inspired them; and how the premise of a driving survival game allowed them to implement original ideas and add new levels of immersion. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Penny's Big Breakaway with Hunter Bridges and Dave Padilla

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 123:19


Trent Kusters chats with Hunter Bridges and Dave Padilla from Evening Star. Together they discuss their studio's debut title, Penny's Big Breakaway. Additionally they discuss their journeys into development and how the openness of developers helped get them started; how working with SEGA helped them prepare for future projects; the importance of documentation and avoiding knowledge silos; how developing their own engines influenced the type of studio they built; and how playtesting with a younger audience helped their development of Penny's Big Breakaway. Watch this episode on our YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Artist Niklas Åkerblad talks Ultros, Hotline Miami

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 98:42


Trent Kusters chats with multidisciplinary artist Niklas Åkerblad. Together they discuss his career leading up to his newest title, Ultros, including his early love of games and illustration; the revolutionary game development scene in Sweden; the profound impact Hotline Miami had on his career; the complexity of games as expressive and technical creations of art; and the philosophical and poetic storytelling inside Ultros. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Creating an Aura of Spookiness in Dredge

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2024 98:00


Trent Kusters chats with Alex Ritchie and Joel Mason of Black Salt Games, developers of the indie hit, Dredge. Together they discuss their game development journeys; the original ideas around Dredge and what the early prototypes looked like in terms of art and design; balancing difficulty and consequence in the various zones; and how they introduced an aura of spookiness throughout the game. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Sea of Stars Director Thierry Boulanger

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 114:23


Trent Kusters chats with Sabotage Studio President and Creative Director, Thierry Boulanger. Together they discuss his journey into games including the early influences that led him towards development; founding Sabotage Studio and the design pillars they follow; key lessons they learned creating The Messenger that they implemented in Sea of Stars; and playing within the limits of retro games while creating modern experiences. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review: https://apple.co/3rF0EtC The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialAIAS

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Blasphemous II with The Game Kitchen's Enrique Cabeza & David Erosa

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2023 81:55


Trent Kusters chats with Enrique Cabeza and David Erosa from The Game Kitchen. Together they discuss their hit series Blasphemous including how they designed the game around the art direction; their studio history and transitioning from work for hire projects to their own original IP; having a successful first original game and deciding to scrap it all and start from scratch for the sequel; and how they're using Blasphemous as a vehicle to share their local culture to the world. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review: https://apple.co/3rF0EtC The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialAIAS

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
From Darksiders to Remnant II with David Adams & Ben Gabbard

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2023 95:01


Trent Kusters chats with Ben Gabbard & David Adams of Remnant series developer Gunfire Games. Together they discuss their careers including their early work at Vigil Games on the Darksiders series; founding Gunfire Games and their early projects with Oculus; their early ideas for the Remnant series including key pillars; learning to be strategic given development restraints; and how Remnant II is a culmination of everything they learned from their previous projects. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a rating and review: https://apple.co/3rF0EtC The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialAIAS

Designer Notes
Designer Notes 79: Trent Kusters - Part 2

Designer Notes

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2023 141:37


In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Trent Kusters, co-founder of League of Geeks, best known for the strategy game Armello. They discuss why Armello has so much output randomness, whether they fudge the odds, and how to turn off a Game-as-a- Service. This episode was recorded on September 8, 2023.

Designer Notes
Designer Notes 78: Trent Kusters - Part 1

Designer Notes

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2023 151:12


In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Trent Kusters, co-founder of League of Geeks, best known for the strategy game Armello. They discuss how he faked his way into games journalism, how to sneak risky ideas past licensors, and how to make games feel big. This episode was recorded on September 8, 2023.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Sarah and Colin Northway Discuss I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2023 90:35


Trent Kusters chats with Sarah Northway and Colin Northway from Northway Games. Together they discuss both of their early careers and the path they eventually took which led them to develop games together; early projects including the Fantastic Contraption series and Rebuild; how their releases always seem to be at the zeitgeist of cultural and technological shifts in gaming; traveling the world while developing games; and the development of their latest hit, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

teenage notebook game maker northway teenage exocolonist trent kusters
The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Creating the "Gamiest Game" in Neon White with Ben Esposito

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2023 100:35


Trent Kusters chats with Ben Esposito, Game Director behind the Annapurna Interactive published Neon White. Together they discuss what sparked his interest in game development; his work at The Unfinished Swan and What Remains of Edith Finch developer Giant Sparrow; the long development journey of his previous game Donut County; and how he followed that up by creating the "gamiest game" he could think of in Neon White.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Shiny Shoe's Mark Cooke talks Monster Train and Inkbound

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2023 83:44


Trent Kusters chats with Shiny Shoe Co-Founder and CEO Mark Cooke. Together they discuss his journey in game development starting off as an intern at LucasArts; founding Shiny Shoe and the evolution of the studio; the conception and development of Monster Train; and their upcoming early access title Inkbound. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
The Last Spell with Ishtar Games' Benjamin Coquelle and Bruno Laverny

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 90:47


Trent Kusters chats with Benjamin Coquelle (Project Manager and Game Designer) and Bruno Laverny (Marketing Director) from Ishtar Games. Together they discuss the journey that led each of them to Ishtar Games; the development of The Last Spell; the features they felt were crucial to showcase to funding partners and potential customers; communicating with your community during early access; and their next game, Lakeburg Legacies. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Real World Inspirations in Tchia with Awaceb's Phil Crifo

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2023 94:59


Trent Kusters chats with Phil Crifo, the Creative Director behind the recently released tropical open-world adventure game, Tchia. Together they discuss his path into game development; meeting his development partner and releasing their first game to little fanfare; finding the courage and inspiration to start the next project; and how his home island of New Caledonia became the inspiration and setting of Tchia. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
The History of Dwarf Fortress with Zach and Tarn Adams - Part 2

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2023 80:55


Trent Kusters chats with Tarn Adams and Zach Adams, brothers who together created Dwarf Fortress. This is part 2 of an extended interview where they discuss the 20 year journey in creating the aforementioned title including the early inspirations that led them to learn programming; the games they developed before Dwarf Fortress; crucial creative and community milestones; working together with Kitfox Games on the updated version for Steam; and their favorite stories from their ever growing community. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
The History of Dwarf Fortress with Zach and Tarn Adams - Part 1

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 73:20


Trent Kusters chats with Tarn Adams and Zach Adams, brothers who together created Dwarf Fortress. This is part 1 of a 2 part extended interview where they discuss the 20 year journey in creating the aforementioned title including the early inspirations that led them to learn programming; the games they developed before Dwarf Fortress; crucial creative and community milestones; working together with Kitfox Games on the updated version for Steam; and their favorite stories from their ever growing community. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS. Follow us:  Twitter Instagram

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Opus and Taiwanese Game Development with Sigono's Scott Chen

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2023 76:15


Trent Kusters chats with Scott Chen of the Taiwanese independent studio Sigono. Together they discuss the early influences that led him to Carnegie Mellon where he met his Sigono Co-Founder, Brian Lee; their earlier titles and the lessons learned in narrative and scope that led to the Opus series; and the challenges and opportunities of the Taiwanese development scene. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
From Hearthstone to MARVEL SNAP with Second Dinner's Ben Brode

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2023 79:39


Trent Kusters chats with Ben Brode, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer at Second Dinner whose debut title MARVEL SNAP has been recently nominated for multiple D.I.C.E. Awards. Together they discuss his early inspirations in board games; his career at Blizzard Entertainment and work on Hearthstone; the road that led him to start his own studio and landing the MARVEL license for their first game; and key decisions they made with MARVEL SNAP to keep players engaged.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel. The Game Maker's Notebook is sponsored by Xsolla. To learn more, go to xsolla.pro/AOIAAS.  

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
"Development Under Siege" with tinyBuild's Alex Nichiporchik

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2022 99:31


Trent Kusters and tinyBuild CEO Alex Nichiporchik revisit Alex's presentation from D.I.C.E. Barcelona 2022 where he discussed "Development Under Siege," the efforts tinyBuild went through to evacuate their development staff leading up to and during the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. tinyBuild had over 180 developers across both Ukraine and Russia, and Alex details the mass mobilization efforts they undertook to get their employees to safety and the challenges they faced along the way.  Listen to the full episode here or watch on our Youtube channel. This episode is sponsored by FusionAuth. For more information, go to FusionAuth.io/game.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Pitching a 16th-Century Murder Mystery Game with Obsidian's Josh Sawyer

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2022 113:43


Trent Kusters chats with Josh Sawyer, the Game Director behind Obsidian Entertainment's Pentiment. Together they discuss his long career in game development from his start at legendary studio Black Isle to his current work on projects like Fallout: New Vegas and the Pillars of Eternity series; how he successfully pitched a narrative-focused 16th-century murder mystery; how a small team created an experience full of historical detail and references; and how to have fun with fonts. Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Creating Escape Room Video Games with Wyatt Bushnell and Mike Salyh

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 79:56


Trent Kusters chats with Mike Salyh and Wyatt Bushnell, Co-Founders of Coin Crew Games. Together they discuss their debut title, Escape Academy; how both of their game development journies began; developing for location-based games and the lessons learned from the arcade; and transferring the real-life escape room experience into a video game while also building a unifying narrative. Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Creating Cult of the Lamb with Julian Wilton

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 60:19


Trent Kusters chats with Massive Monster's Julian Wilton. Together they discuss developing the smash indie hit Cult of the Lamb; Julian's early work on Newgrounds; how local government funding kickstarted the establishment of Massive Monster; how the pitching process with Devolver manifested; and developing a title from the ground up with marketing at the forefront.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
From Silent Hill to Immortality with Sam Barlow

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2022 151:32


Trent Kusters chats with Game Director at Half Mermaid, Sam Barlow. Together they discuss how his career began; his early studio work and getting to work on the Silent Hill franchise; his decision to go indie; his experiences that led to his first indie project; the intricacies of creating games that require a full film crew; and looking at his newest title Immortality through the lenses of both Her Story and Telling Lies.  Listen to the episode here or watch the full episode on our YouTube.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Weird West with Raphaël Colantonio

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2022 91:25


Trent Kusters chats with Raphaël Colantonio, the President and Creative Director of WolfEye Studios, who recently developed Weird West. Previously, Raphaël was also one of the Co-Founders of Arkane Studios. Together they discuss how Raphaël got his start working at Electronic Arts; founding Arkane Studios and working on their early projects like Arx Fatalis; deciding to leave Arkane after 17 years and beginning anew with WolfEye Studios; how they approach accessibility and challenge in an immersive sim; and the wins and near misses they identified after their first game as a new studio.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Moss Book II with Polyarc's Chris Alderson and Josh Stiksma

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 86:55


Trent Kusters chats with Polyarc's Chris Alderson (Art Director, Co-Founder) and Josh Stiksma (Design Director). Together they discuss founding Polyarc and deciding to develop for VR; developing the first Moss and first announcing at E3; how the early feedback shaped the overall design of the series; the art and design choices they made to help the player connect with Quill, the game's protagonist; and finding the balance between VR experiences and traditional gameplay when designing Moss' dioramas.  Listen to the full episode here or watch this episode on our Youtube channel.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
The Artful Escape with Johnny Galvatron

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2022 81:59


Trent Kusters chats with Johnny Galvatron, the Creative Director behind the BAFTA award winning game, The Artful Escape. Together they discuss his transition from rockstar to game developer and how his experiences helped shape the narrative in The Artful Escape; building his first studio (Beethoven & Dinosaur) and searching outside of game development to find the right talent for the team; and working together with Annapurna Interactive who helped them put together a star-studded cast. Listen here or watch the full episode on YouTube.

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Sable with Gregorios Kythreotis and Martin Kvale

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 79:09


Trent Kusters chats with Gregorios Kythreotis (Creative Director, Shedworks) and Martin Kvale (Sound Designer) about their 2021 game collaboration, Sable. Together they discuss how Gregorios and his business partner Daniel Fineberg started their development studio Shedworks; how the idea for Sable developed; brining in Martin to design the audio; working together with Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast on the soundtrack; infusing British humor into the cast of characters; and how Sable is an expert exercise in restraint. 

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook
Rainbow Billy with Christopher Chancey

The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 62:11


Trent Kusters chats with ManaVoid Entertainment's Christopher Chancey. Together they discuss designing an RPG without traditional combat in Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan; tackling difficult subjects in video games; the delicate nature of creating games suitable for children; and about his work with Indie Asylum and the burgeoning Montréal development scene.  Watch this episode on our Youtube channel: "Official_AIAS"

rainbow rpg leviathan trent kusters christopher chancey
The Insert Credit Show
Ep. 229 - Bye Forever GDC 2022, with Liz Ryerson and Brandon Sheffield

The Insert Credit Show

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2022 58:00


Insert Credit covers GDC 2022 with Liz Ryerson reporting direct from the expo hall on a quest to achieve corporate heaven, while Brandon Sheffield gets quick hits from some prominent attendees and reflects on GDC itself. Chapters: Heaven or Corporate Hell: The GDC 2022 Expo Hall, by Liz Ryerson (00:47) GDC 2022 Reports by Brandon Sheffield: standing in front of a mural (14:32) hotel report and lumbar pillow (16:34) fomo (18:47) Why Is the Whole Idea of Todd Howard Funny? An Investigation, by Kris Graft (21:23) hodd toward (23:15) bbc interview about the ukraine bundle (23:49) piloting through shit, with Rami Ismail (24:35) an anecdote about gdcs past, with Vincent Diamante (25:51) unfortunately configured pizza, with Tyriq Plummer (27:47) wearing a fuck nfts shirt in business meetings, with Xalavier Nelson Jr. (29:02) a story about discovering punk bands, with Chris Charla (31:56) flaccid exchanges and ambient jazz (33:07) san francisco and oakland are different places in america (34:57) america is a whole country that has san francisco and oakland in it (36:08) masking (36:48) an event conspiring (37:49) something to say, with Anita Sarkeesian (38:31) something interesting about anthropology, with Trent Kusters (38:53) the best pancakes in los angeles, with Teddy Dief (40:57) what lyft drivers know about stem cells, with Scott Jon Siegel (42:33) Mental Health, by Nick Suttner (43:53) international news (45:51) crashing a crypto party, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (46:39) a little more to say, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (52:29) bye forever (55:13) Share GDC memories in the forums! Hosted by Alex Jaffe, Liz Ryerson and Brandon Sheffield reporting. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

Jacky Winter Gives You The Business
096 - Producing Video Games with Trent Kusters

Jacky Winter Gives You The Business

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2019 52:25


This week, it’s all about Producing Video Games, and we're jazzed to say that we’re joined by the masterful Trent Kusters.Trent is the co-founder and production director of Melbourne-based game developers League of Geeks, responsible for digital role-playing strategy board game and international success story, Armello. He is also on the board of Freeplay (Australia's largest and longest running independent games festival), the chair of RMIT's Program Advisory Committee, a former lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts, and an industry advisor to DiGRA Australia. A frequent name on the numerous 30 Under 30 lists — by the likes of MCV, Develop, Triple J, the Melbourne Writers Festival, and (the big one) Forbes — Trent is heavily invested in the future of video games as a medium; fostering and mentoring young and under-represented developers, and contributing to the community wherever possible. To cap things off, he’s also currently gamerunner on the studio’s ambitious next game, which is set to be one of Australia's largest game productions ever.Remember! We are now an ENHANCED podcast. That's right - If you listen to our podcast in Overcast or Pocket Casts, or Castro, you can get super special images, links, and chapter breaks in your player while you listen.Featured links from our discussion - Want to get these in your inbox every Friday? Sign up for our text-only tinyletter at tinyletter.com/jackywinterIntroLeague of Geekshttps://leagueofgeeks.com/Armellohttps://armello.com/Melbourne International Games Week http://gamesweek.melbourne/Interview with Trent KustersTaurus Games studio http://www.torus.com.au/Unity https://unity.com/Unreal https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/Trellohttps://trello.com/en-AUMDA frameworkhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MDA_frameworkNo Man’s Sky https://www.nomanssky.com/Creativity Inc. http://www.creativityincbook.com/about/Criterion studioshttp://criteriongames.com/Autonomy, mastery, purpose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvEbDzg6EhQJirahttps://www.atlassian.com/software/jiraConfluence https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluenceSlackhttps://slack.com/intl/en-au/Untitled Goose Gamehttps://goose.game/The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook podcasthttps://www.interactive.org/Interviews/the_game_makers_notebook.aspTone Control podcast https://www.idlethumbs.net/tonecontrolOpen TabsYoutube book reveals – Jeremyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXqOrBHZrNIPopsockets – Larahttps://popsockets.com.au/How To Build A Healthy, Happy Video Game – Trent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46DzdaN0JbUTrent’s SocialsLeague of Geeks sitehttps://leagueofgeeks.com/League of Geeks Twitter https://twitter.com/leagueofgeeksIf you like the show or these links or think we sound like nice people, please go and leave us a rating or review on iTunes. It helps other people find the show and boosts our downloads which in turn lets us know that what we're doing is worth doing more of!To subscribe, view show notes or previous episodes head on over to our podcast page at http://jackywinter.givesyouthe.biz/Special thanks to Jacky Winter (the band, with much better shirts than us) for the music.Listen to them over at Soundcloud.Everything else Jacky Winter (us) can be found at http://www.jackywinter.com/

Livewire Podcast
Episode 5 - Continue...?

Livewire Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2017 29:55


We're up to Episode 5 of the Livewire Podcast. We continue our theme of game development as we chat to Trent Kusters the founder of Melbourne games company, League of Geeks, the studio that gave us Armello. We hear what Guide-Jess thought of Kinky Boots and Tristan-LW takes a look at the history of podcasting.

Pixel Sift
Collectors Edition Episode 1 - REBROADCAST

Pixel Sift

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2017 57:58


We've put together a special collection of our favourite interviews and discussions from our first year. Originally broadcast on Radio Fremantle, in this episode we speak to Trent Kusters of League of Geeks about his game Armello, talk all about drugs in gaming, look at the adverts in games you love, and finally chat to Drew Morrow of Three Phase Interactive about his game Defect SDK. We'll be back with new episodes on the January 12 2017.  You can find us on social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift"!

Downloadable Context
DLC 004 - Trent Kusters

Downloadable Context

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2016 92:15


This episode, we are speaking with Trent Kusters, Co-Founder and Director of League Of Geeks, Chair of the Freeplay Independent Games Festival, and Lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Game Hugs
Trent Kusters (League of Geeks)

Game Hugs

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2016 80:37


Trent Kusters is the Co-Founder & Director of League of Geeks, the studio that recently released Armello. Entrepreneurial by nature, he built and managing multiple companies before moving across to become a Lead Designer at Torus Games, then Creative Director at Divisive Media. He is also currently an Industry Advisor for DiGRA Australia, Lecturer (Game Writing) for the Victorian College of Arts, and is a Board Member on the Freeplay Independent Games Festival.

Pixel Sift
Trent Kusters (Armello): Kickstarting & building a digital boardgame & managing hype

Pixel Sift

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2015 30:50


This week for our eleventh episode we broadcast live from somewhere a little bit different, we were at Casa Del Scott but you would have seen the fresh decor on our Twitch stream of this episode. If you missed us live you catch the whole episode on http://www.twitch.tv/pixelsift any time you like! This week we spoke to Trent Kusters, he's one of the co-founders of League of Geeks and we learnt all about their game Armello. We had such a great chat with Trent we split the interview in two, with the first part focusing on the challenges and benefits of developing a completely digital board game. In the second half of the interview, we talked about managing the expectations of more than 6000 backers after their successful Kickstarter campaign, and what it took to get it to that point. We also looked at when games fail to meet fan expectations, or don't meet the hype. The fans of Pro Evolution Soccer 2016 have been calling out for updated rosters, with all the current trades and injury lists, but have been left wanting.  Scott fills us in on the fan disappointment and how developers could address these issues. You can find us on all the social media sites, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch and Steam. Just search for "pixelsift" and you'll find us!