Afleveringen
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This is a conversation with the Australian game developer Tommy, co-creator of the tower defense game Gnomes. Thy made it in a custom Rust Engine with just 10 months of time and 0$ marketing budget. It looks like a game anyone could make, but is it? I was curious to learn more.
Links to my Guests
➤ Gnomes on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3133060/Gnomes/
➤ Sea of Survivors on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2347940/Sea_of_Survivors/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
2:29 - Prototyping, Timeline, Demo
6:11 - Next Fest, Early Marketing Wins
8:25 - Early Access and Launch Strategy
12:23 - Switching Teams, Going Solo, Moving to Godot
15:06 - 3D vs 2D: Marketing and Development
22:11 - Solo vs Team Trade-Offs, Is it Luck?
29:16 - Roles, Content Pipeline, Localization
35:05 - Core Loop: Moveable Towers, Guilds, Shop, Endless
38:49 - Game Design: Economy vs Defense
41:45 - Difficulty, Guild Matchups, Swamp Map, RNG, Power Fantasy
47:03 - UX-First Design: Minimal Tutorial, One-Hand UI, Juice, Pacing
52:59 - Constraints, Limits Shaping Design
56:05 - Marketing: Go Narrow/Deep, Reddit, Creators Timing
1:03:20 - Fulfilling Fantasies, Don’t Chase Trends
1:11:18 - Designing Doable but Deep
1:20:49 - Regrets and Post-Launch Changes
1:30:43 - Cheat Mode, Jank, and Nostalgia
1:31:59 - Copycats on Mobile: Kingshot
1:34:29 - Mobile vs Steam and Why Gnomes Isn’t on Mobile
1:39:27 - Life Changes, Workflow, and Team Plans
1:42:32 - Generalists, Triple Threat, and the Coming AI Era
1:48:44 - Nostalgia Sells; You Only Need the Crumbs
1:50:29 - Solo vs Team Itch; Don’t Engine-Shop
1:52:02 - Do You Have to Suffer for your Art?
1:54:20 - Godot Navmesh, Sunk Cost, State Machines
1:55:16 - Trailer-First, Vertical Slice, and Variable Scope
1:57:08 - Testing Appeal: Playtests vs Trailers and Honest Feedback
2:00:30 - Appeal-First vs Gameplay-First
2:04:47 - Build a Playtest Community; Observe Actions, Not Words
2:08:46 - 500 Testers, Steam Playtest vs Keys, Superfans
2:12:40 - First-Time Players Are Gold; Demos and the First 15 Minutes
2:17:40 - Treat Your Demo Like a Launch
2:18:36 - There is a Playbook and a Splash of Luck
2:20:07 - Outro
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with Ricard Pillosu, an industry veteran with over 20 years in both AAA and indie teams, currently working as Co-Founder at Epictellers a 30+ head team working on the CRPG Starfinder: Afterlight.
Links to my Guests
➤ Starfinder: Afterlight on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/3245640/
➤ Epictellers Website: https://www.epictellers.com/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:21 - Why Big Success Can Be Dangerous
3:31 - Luck Is 70%
6:13 - The Hardest Part of Building a Studio: People
7:57 - Ric’s Journey so Far
9:45 - Becoming a Lead and Manager
12:30 - How Does AAA Build Games?
16:02 - Prototyping Rituals in AAA
18:29 - Pre-Production and Messy Realities
20:41 - Scrum Era, Sub-Teams, and the Human Factor
22:50 - Charisma, Toxic Positivity, and Milestone Negotiations
26:51 - Reputation Traps in Big Teams
29:19 - Is Experience Overrated?
30:56 - Culture Clashes and the Timeline Fallacy
32:49 - Wisdom Over Experience
39:12 - Choose Simple Solutions
41:55 - Enforcing Pipelines
42:26 - From Overengineering to Readability
46:24 - When Copying Is Okay
47:18 - Don’t Pre-Architect
49:18 - Pick Patterns Per Problem
54:16 - Be Nice to the CPU
55:45 - Why Godot?
58:40 - Signals, Call Stacks, and Deferring Work to the Frame
1:00:37 - Queues and Frame-Slicing
1:02:43 - Start From the Game: Feature Wishlists
1:04:24 - Why Decoupling Matters
1:05:46 - Turn Manager Example: Building Layer 0
1:12:06 - Layer 1 Orchestration: Game States and Combat Manager
1:14:18 - Syntactic Compression
1:17:47 - Micro-Managers: Mouse and Targeting Systems
1:20:48 - What Makes a Great Gameplay Programmer
1:22:56 - Anti-Patterns: Ego, Overcomplication, Blame
1:24:39 - Coding Into a Corner: It’s Part of the Journey
1:28:49 - Jonas’s Background and Goals
1:31:18 - Coding Mastery vs Commercial Success
1:34:02 - Path to Mastery: New Engines, Teams, and Contexts
1:35:22 - Reuse and Scalability Myths
1:36:10 - Why Build Multiple CRPGs: What Really Transfers
1:37:48 - Boredom and Scope Creep
1:41:42 - Why Second Games Take Longer
1:42:53 - Everyone Should Build an Engine
1:48:20 - Why Unity/Unreal Feel Bloated
1:50:49 - Godot’s Incentives: Smaller, Developer-First
1:52:11 - Will Godot Grow? “Fighting the Engine” Metric
1:56:41 - When to Pick Godot, Unity, or Unreal
1:57:05 - Closing Thoughts
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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This is a conversation with my game dev friend and former collegue Friedemann Allmenröder. We created ISLANDERS together, he then went on to make many more fantastic indie games such as Pizza Possum, Summer House and recently Slots & Daggers. In this conversation with dive into the philosophy of game dev creativity and I try to understand more about how Fridemman's process for making hit games looks like these days.
Links to my Guests
➤ Slots & Daggers on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3631290/Slots__Daggers/
➤ Summer House on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2533960/SUMMERHOUSE/
➤ Portfolio Website: https://allmenroeder.com/
➤ Twitter/X: https://x.com/Friedemann_A
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Better At Games, Worse At Advice
1:20 - Appeal × Retention As Core Formula
3:35 - Beyond Visuals: Many Kinds Of Appeal
5:05 - “Make Something Almost Too Small”
6:35 - Finding The Fresh but Familiar Twist
8:19 - Useful vs Pointless Innovation
11:07 - Why Clear Formulas Break Down
13:20 - Intuition As Compressed Rules
15:05 - Training Taste With Good “Data”
18:30 - Creativity As Remix, Not Creation
20:07 - Labeling What You Like And Why
22:22 - Missing Discourse On Creative Work
23:56 - Ideas vs Execution In Modern Dev
24:35 - Origin Story Of Slots & Daggers
27:21 - Why So Many Gambling-Like Games?
29:20 - Randomness, FOMO And Accessibility
32:07 - Farm Game, Weekend Prototype, Publisher Test
36:10 - Six-Week Jam To Seven-Month Project
41:46 - What “Execution” Really Means
45:36 - Sculpting Ideas And Minimalism
49:55 - First Prototype And Sketchy Pixel Style
52:24 - Unity Lighting, Bloom And Cheap Coherence
55:28 - “Everything Must Animate” Philosophy
1:00:22 - Fast Polish With DOTween
1:02:36 - Sound Design, SFX Packs And Screen Shake
1:05:22 - Visual Feedback Instead Of Text
1:08:06 - Reused Tech, Wiggly Leaves And The Famous Glass
1:10:27 - Building A Strong Tabletop Vibe
1:15:25 - Color, Post-Processing And Mood Swaps
1:18:53 - Dangers Of Overdoing Post-Processing
1:22:01 - Marketing Starts With An Appealing Game
1:24:45 - Publishers, Demos And Next Fests
1:30:17 - No Secret Hacks, Just Good Basics
1:35:11 - Is The Indie-Pocalypse Real?
1:38:47 - Dopamine Farming And Attention Economy
1:42:10 - Will Quiet Games Come Back?
1:43:56 - What To Make After A Loud Game
1:44:47 - Game Recs: Rainy Season And Eastshade
1:48:43 - Outro And Future Catch-Ups
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with Danny Weinbaum from @EastshadeStudios, the creators of one of my favorite roleplaying games, Eastshade, currently working on a new game called "Songs of Glimmerwick". How do you make successful adventure game? What makes for good quests? How to write peaceful games and bring them to satisfying conlcusion? How to craft beautiful environments?
Links to my Guests
➤ On YouTube: @EastshadeStudios
➤ Eastshade on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/715560/Eastshade/
➤ Songs of Glimmerwick on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1706510/Songs_of_Glimmerwick/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - Leaving Lyndow
3:30 - From AAA to indie
6:12 - Eastshade in a nutshell
8:52 - Designing a living world without combat
11:13 - Appeal vs fun; discovering the painting loop
15:43 - The “walking sim” problem
18:06 - Explainer trailers
19:50 - Grizzly Games team size and roles
21:20 - Market research, scraping Steam
27:32 - Eastshade sales and budget breakdown
28:55 - Full voice acting
31:18 - Environment art fundamentals
36:03 - Performance strategy
43:35 - Composing “hero shots”
44:40 - Unique landmarks, modular tilesets
49:41 - tiny open worlds; Glimmerwick’s world
51:11 - What makes a good quest
54:29 - Case study: the island mystery
56:03 - Glimmerwick’s budget, team, and timelines
57:35 - Glimmerwick’s origin and the “one captain per game” rule
59:49 - Positioning in the witchy/magic-school space
1:03:00 - Early reception: wishlists, betas
1:06:41 - From free camera to fixed
1:13:58 - Prototyping adventure games
1:20:02 - Locks and keys done right (Outer Wilds)
1:26:18 - Magic systems in Glimmerwick: spells, farming, potions
1:28:31 - Tech art pipeline and approach to writing
1:31:38 - Marketing; word of mouth
1:36:20 - Time system innovation: “event pucks”
1:40:57 - Why time makes worlds feel alive
1:43:21 - YouTube strategy: audience, impact, and shorts
1:49:12 - Turning illustrations into worlds
1:53:48 - Where to start with an adventure game
2:04:07 - Replacing combat: a merchant-driven adventure idea
2:11:06 - Glimmerwick status: wishlists, demo, conversion
2:12:22 - Show the verbs: improving the store page
2:16:37 - Marketing plans and development status
2:18:10 - Designing satisfying non-combat endings; Eastshade’s farewell
2:22:48 - Glimmerwick’s ending approach: reunion and nostalgia
2:25:26 - YouTube ROI and streamlining devlogs
2:31:10 - Thumbnails, hooks, and careful advice
2:32:42 - Game quality vs marketing; reading Steam’s middle class
2:34:18 - Game show idea, “friend slop,” trends vs art, and co-op
2:38:38 - Wrap-up
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with @zoroarts8930, a young solo dev who managed to land an indie hit with his co-op game Paddle Paddle Paddle. We talk about that success, how to potentially replicate it and also about the role of luck.
Links to my Guest
➤ YouTube Channel: @zoroarts8930
➤ Paddle Paddle Paddle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3570070/Paddle_Paddle_Paddle/
➤ Makis Adventure on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843110/Makis_Adventure/
➤ Rogue Jungle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2352850/Rogue_Jungle/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:09 - Path Into Game Dev
4:49 - Maki’s Adventure Postmortem
9:15 - Building a Level Editor
15:40 - From Rogue Jungle to Paddle Paddle
17:59 - 3-Hour Prototype and Viral Validation
20:21 - Two-Week Demo, Streamers, and Early Momentum
21:39 - Publisher Deal, IGN Feature, and Wishlist Velocity
24:00 - Shipping in 4 Months; Reviews and Netcode
25:21 - Graphics vs Gameplay: Stylized Jank
26:54 - Capsule Art and Voice-Over Trailer That Converted
28:46 - Playtesting and Bug-Free Launch
30:58 - Handling Hate and Prioritizing Fun
33:13 - Networking: Photon Fusion, Shared Boat, Prediction
39:24 - Passion vs Business: Making Games for a Living
41:57 - Balancing Heart and Market
48:45 - Future Plans: Small Games and a 3D Sequel
49:50 - Sales Momentum, Regions, and a Major Update
51:44 - Working With Assemble and Filtering Spam
54:20 - Pitching Devolver, Publisher vs Self-Funding
56:23 - Investing in Audio: Composer Plans, Budget, and Impact
59:28 - Influences: Pokémon OST; Learning From Others
01:07:24 - Can You Repeat a Hit?
01:11:14 - Luck: How Much It Matters and How to Reduce It
01:18:43 - Early Flops, Iteration, Strong Steam Pages, and Being First
01:22:25 - Launch Day: Hitting Publish, Friday Strategy, and Early Sales
01:27:03 - When the Right Game Markets Itself + Next Steps
01:31:20 - Rogue Jungle
01:39:52 - Outro
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with Stephen Huang from @isto_inc. They made games such as "Get to Work" and "Atrio: The Dark Wild", each game more successful than the last. Sptephen tells his story and shares his best advice on how to grow your game dev success long term.
Links to my Guests
➤ On YouTube: @isto_inc
➤ Get to Work on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2706170/Get_To_Work/
➤ Atrio: The Dark Wild on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125390/Atrio_The_Dark_Wild/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - From Microsoft to making the first game
2:49 - Disjoint’s gameplay
4:28 - Paid mobile launch flop
6:25 - $30k total; hard lessons and humility
10:45 - Starting Isto Inc; choosing automation-survival (Atrio)
13:50 - Why picking a good idea is so hard
15:29 - Atrio architecture (Zenject)
17:58 - COVID, starting the YouTube
19:56 - Early Access launch
21:54 - A lucky break: Atrioc and the Xbox exclusive deal
23:58 - 1.0 goes a bit better
25:04 - Atrio postmortem: hook too abstract
26:06 - Art/style didn’t signal the automation audience
27:32 - "We didn’t validate early" (and why that hurt)
30:06 - Learnings for next time
34:36 - From Atrio to Get To Work; the key‑remapping fiasco
36:42 - Building Isto Core: reusable systems
40:35 - Pitching Atrioc: data, strategy, and a rage game idea
44:49 - How they got Atrioc to care (Reddit bits, rapport)
46:43 - Standing out in easy‑to‑make genres
49:44 - Get To Work explained: a flowy rage platformer
54:32 - Story focus and landing CDawgVA
01:02:06 - Skipping Next Fest for streamer momentum
01:05:55 - Wishlists via YouTube and what streamers value
01:12:00 - Launch plan: hold Atrioc; run a speedrun contest
01:14:36 - Designing the Hat sequence for streams
01:18:37 - Many paths to success; regional surprises (KR/China)
01:21:11 - 3‑part postmortem framework
01:25:57 - YouTube vs Steam
01:27:16 - Engineering the speedrun comp—and the viral video
01:32:33 - YouTube as insurance; leveraging big videos for sales
01:35:55 - Build your channel vs courting creators
01:47:08 - Short‑form vs long‑form videos
01:48:34 - The “Idea Gap”: from “cool” to “I must play this”
01:50:52 - Pivoting the next game; streamers as partners
01:54:25 - The four most streamable genres
01:58:58 - Next up: online co‑op multiplayer
02:01:17 - Think long‑term; add one big skill per game
02:05:28 - Closing
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with Julian Colbus from DigiTales Interactive, the creators of Lacuna and Between Horizons. We talk about regrets from their last game, how to succeed with story based games and how to make it as an indie game developer.
Links to my Guest
➤ Lacua on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364100/Lacuna__A_SciFi_Noir_Adventure/
➤ Between Horizons on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1921980/Between_Horizons__A_SciFi_Detective_Adventure/
➤ The Great Sassanelli on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2195490/The_Great_Sassanelli__An_Interactive_Novel/
➤ Unburied Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1911240994/unburied?lang=de
➤ DigiTales Interactive (More Links): https://digitales.games/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Building Without Marketability in Mind
2:04 - Making “Detective” Readable at a Glance
3:33 - The Market Shift: 2021 vs 2024
4:24 - 3D vs 2D: Cost, Detail, and Personality
6:20 - Modernizing Point-and-Click
7:57 - Growing Team and Scope (and Losing Creative Control)
12:23 - Elegance Over Features
14:24 - Lessons from Cheap Horror Hits: Nail the Hook, Skip the Fluff
15:11 - The Essence of Detective Games
17:38 - Solution Inputs That Resist Guessing
20:33 - “Choices Matter”
24:16 - Semi-Open World Detectives: Combinatorial Explosion
26:46 - What Makes a Good Story in Games
28:00 - Selling Story Games via Setting; Be Oddly Specific
34:05 - Design by Committee vs Strong Vision
36:57 - Studio History and Team Scaling
39:49 - Becoming a Publisher
41:26 - New Business Plan: Smaller, Cheaper, More Frequent Releases
42:18 - Stepping into Survival Horror (and Why)
43:30 - Survival Horror’s Proven Formula and Feel
45:20 - Disempowerment and the Illusion of Scarcity
49:45 - Next Detective Game
52:09 - The Second-Game Slump: Causes and Fixes
56:45 - Don’t Make Direct Sequels as an Indie (Most of the Time)
01:00:50 - Steam Cross-Promotion: “From the Creators of…”, Bundles, Discounts
01:03:59 - Writing Better Dialogue
01:10:27 - Make the Story the Gameplay
01:14:57 - Hidden Mysteries and Multiple Active Cases
01:17:53 - Open-Ended Inputs vs Bespoke Reactions
01:21:48 - Dialogue System: Custom Tool, Booleans, and Logs
01:29:40 - Make It Obvious: Premise, Key Art, and Core Loop at a Glance
01:31:44 - Descriptive Trailers and Demos That Filter Buyers
01:36:45 - Screenshot Best Practices
01:39:22 - Design for Trailer Moments
01:41:36 - Budgets and Team Sizes: Why Mid-Size Struggles
01:44:53 - Indie Math: Real Costs and Platform Cuts
01:49:29 - Scope Discipline: Focus Saves Money and Quality
01:50:25 - Team Composition: Be Selective
01:52:31 - Work with Equals or Better; Pragmatic Dev Beats Over-Engineering
01:55:42 - Know What’s Possible (and Where AI Helps)
01:59:21 - Marketing in the For-You Era: Authenticity and Hooks
02:06:09 - Creator Outreach That Works (and Tools to Do It)
02:11:30 - Wrap-Up and Plugs: The Great Sassanelli, Socials, Unburied
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a conversation with Kathrin Radtke from Spellgarden Games, the tiny development team behind Sticky Business and Ritual of Raven. We talk about making successful cozy games, scope, marketing and more.
Links to my Guests
➤ Sticky Business on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303350/Sticky_Business/
➤ Ritual of Raven on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066520/Ritual_of_Raven/
➤ Spellgarden Website (Social Media links etc): https://spellgardengames.com/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:41 - Why People Play Cozy Games
2:28 - Cozy Games on Steam: Size and Growth
5:06 - What Makes a Game Cozy?
7:08 - Spellgarden Origins and Sticky Business in 5 Months
10:20 - From Idea Board to 3‑Week Prototype, TikTok Devlogs
12:38 - Finding Ideas in Trends, Hobbies, and ASMR
14:09 - Designing Stickers with Stickers + Low‑Pressure Creativity
17:12 - Steam Page, Viral Tweet, and Finding a Publisher
19:51 - TikTok Strategy: Language, Algorithm, Results
22:36 - Turning Social Posts into Wishlists
24:31 - Why Simple Concepts Market Better
27:05 - Smaller, Clearer Projects and When to Share
30:05 - Will Spellgarden Stay in Cozy Games?
32:05 - Why “Work” Simulators Feel Relaxing
34:13 - Designing for Intrinsic Motivation (Not Scores)
40:01 - Ritual of the Raven: Automation and Coding
43:52 - From Concept to a Big Narrative
45:28 - Managing Scope Under Publisher Milestones
47:31 - Progression Across Regions, Tutorials, and Pacing
49:20 - Marketability vs Vision and What’s Next
51:11 - Crafting Ritual’s Art Style with One Artist
52:54 - The Pacing Problem in Automation Games
55:20 - Making Designs Click and the Cost of Lock‑In
59:46 - Advice for Aspiring Cozy Devs and Testing Interest
01:03:35 - How They Playtest Cozy and Creative Games
01:07:44 - Marketing Cozy Games: Platforms, Demos, Events
01:11:04 - Sticky Business DLCs: Why, How, and Backlash
01:17:29 - DLCs vs Early Access and Player Expectations
01:22:51 - Post-Launch Support and Cozy Recommendations
01:26:26 - Outro
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a conversation with Timo Falcke and Zwi Zausch, two of the devs at Toukana Interactive, the developers of Dorfromantik and Star Birds. This is a game dev success story with some theory crafting about how to potentially reproduce an outcome like this.
Links to my Guests
➤ Star Birds on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719750/Star_Birds/
➤ Dorfromantik on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1455840/Dorfromantik/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:35 - Meet Toukana Interactive & Dorfromantik
1:28 - Founding the studio and shipping Dorfromantik in a year
4:17 - Early Access launch: Next Fest momentum, streamers, and the Steam algorithm
7:46 - The itch prototype and Ludum Dare origins
8:27 - Expectations vs reality on launch day
11:45 - Prototyping many ideas and choosing Dorfromantik
16:49 - Building a unique look: trees, outlines, and shader tricks
18:44 - Visual inspirations and tips for finding your art style
21:31 - Iterating the rules: rotation, edges, lakes, and quests
27:15 - Performance war stories: PC instancing to Switch optimization
38:07 - Early Access strategy, 1.0 launch, and getting featured
41:50 - How Steam featuring works (Steam reps and slots)
43:15 - Hiring after success and staying small by design
45:52 - Turning Dorfromantik into an award-winning board game
53:37 - Why the board game works (campaign, accessibility, depth)
57:48 - Partnering with Kurzgesagt and choosing Star Birds
01:06:20 - Who did what: Toukana vs Kurzgesagt on Star Birds
01:09:41 - Tech art & pipeline: 3D that looks like 2D, procedural asteroids
01:14:13 - Designing systems: logistics across asteroids and big economies
01:16:07 - No fail-state: keeping it chill and puzzle-like
01:19:13 - Scoring without time pressure (and the most hated achievement)
01:23:39 - Why Early Access again and the plan for Star Birds
01:26:44 - Community feedback, roadmap, and lots more content
01:29:53 - Moving launch for Silksong and the pricing debate
01:34:10 - Can success be reproduced? Sequel vs new IP
01:36:55 - What gets attention now: polish vs recognizable "trash"
01:39:00 - Two big levers: Steam visibility vs content creators
01:40:56 - Familiarity vs originality and making it readable at a glance
01:45:40 - Marketing realities, scope choice, and staying a lean team
01:49:49 - Our workflow: prototype, evaluate, refine, decide
01:54:04 - Appeal prototyping vs gameplay prototyping
01:55:54 - Appeal, player fantasy, define intrigue early
01:58:03 - Star Birds' appeal vs Kurzgesagt's high-tension vibe
02:01:03 - Narrative vs systems, constraints, and "polish what matters"
02:04:40 - Wrap-up
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Cory Darby, a indie games strategist / profissional min-maxer and the co-creator of Click & Conquer, a game that with just 400 hours of work managed to turn over 100K in profits. We talk about how to optimize your Steam launch for maximum visibility and where the indie games industry on Steam is going.
Links to my Guest
➤ No cost 30-Minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/ckdarby/biz-game-dev
➤ Cory on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThornityCo
➤ Click and Conquer on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3267900/Click_and_Conquer/
➤ Analytics page Cory mentioned for Steam Stats: https://www.gginsights.io/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - The 72-hour test: what the dataset shows
3:35 - Conversion is king: Steam’s fair-shot test and early thresholds
6:56 - Designing for conversion: page, trailer, and pricing
8:41 - Launch discounts and price psychology (40% for two weeks)
10:35 - The controversial post-launch price drop and “is it sleazy?”
13:38 - Pricing pitfalls: overpricing kills and you can’t A/B test
15:39 - Are prices trending down? Incremental economics
18:32 - When deep discounts backfire on perception
20:16 - Tags as targeting: choose the right seed audience
24:51 - Appeal and instant connection vs “just make a good game”
25:37 - Copy what works, add a twist (Cory’s approach)
28:47 - Picking a war theme via asset packs—and the backlash
31:57 - Mechanics and pacing by the numbers (Click & Conquer)
34:33 - Foot-pedal playtesting and auto-edited feedback
37:54 - Scaling with collaborations and purpose-built tools
44:58 - Riding trend waves: incrementals, co-op, and shop sims
48:42 - Co-op lineage (Lethal Company, etc.) and theme waves like trains
50:49 - Plotting by tags and where the data comes from
52:27 - Don’t be late: spot waves early (Gavin’s advice)
54:31 - Trend-chasing vs passion; blending genres and risk
58:28 - Building a 400-hour game: roles, hours, and timeline
01:00:37 - Why short projects lower risk and speed learning
01:04:31 - After the wave: adjacent bets and using reviews/AI
01:09:11 - Find genres with volume but mixed reviews; “Professional min/maxer”
01:13:55 - AI is already changing dev: agents as co-devs and toolbuilding
01:19:59 - Agents that use computers and play games; the inequality gap
01:29:04 - The upside: accessibility and the internet analogy
01:31:50 - Hot take: game dev shifts business-first; why AAA struggles
01:35:07 - A new model: many small AI-boosted teams (and acquisitions)
01:37:33 - Jonas’s stance: avoid AI art, use AI for code/tools; playtesting bottleneck
01:41:19 - AI as sounding board: design aid (color theory) and more
01:43:16 - “Soulless” vs soul: min-maxing as a creative pursuit
01:44:15 - Wrap-up
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Tyler F. Cloutier, co-founder and head of Clockwork Labs, who are building their MMO, Bitcraft Online, entirely in a database. They are making this database available for other developers under the name SpacetimeDB. It's a real time relational database that promises to massively simplify infrastructure required for both applications and games alike, almost like an operating system for the cloud. I'm very on board with their vision. Can it actually hold up? Let's have a look.
Links to my Guest
➤ SpacetimeDB: https://spacetimedb.com/
➤ Bitcraft Online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3454650/BitCraft_Online/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - What is SpacetimeDB?
7:24 - How SpacetimeDB is different
11:06 - Best use cases and limitations
15:55 - How it works: modules, reducers, transactions
19:34 - Publishing and hot-swapping server code
20:21 - Client model: reducers for writes; live queries and permissions
25:52 - Scaling and memory
28:40 - Per-match databases and the actor model
31:21 - Performance: reducer duration, locks vs MVCC, and offloading work
37:48 - Starter projects and analytics; community dashboards
41:12 - Authentication: OpenID Connect, Spacetime Auth, and Steam
46:07 - Platform philosophy: generalized vs specialized
51:25 - UGC and user-generated logic
55:05 - Origins, team structure, and optimization milestones
57:27 - Full history/time travel and postmortems
59:14 - Scaling by game type; video calling experiment and event tables
01:02:42 - Make it easy & LLM-friendly
01:07:48 - Comparing Firebase/Supabase/Vercel; why we built it
01:12:09 - Scheduled reducers, tickless servers, and timers as tables
01:13:57 - Matchmaking with SpacetimeDB (Underdogs VR, Postgres wire) and libraries
01:17:58 - Asynchronous multiplayer and efficiency
01:21:53 - Business model: self-hosting, Main Cloud free tier, licensing
01:26:48 - Avoiding vendor lock-in (SpatialOS lesson)
01:27:28 - BitCraft origins and vision
01:32:11 - Learning from veteran reviews; OSRS vs WoW philosophy
01:36:12 - Building costs, biggest design challenges, and live updates
01:39:43 - Core identity: simulating civilization, community, and expectations
01:42:35 - Outro
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Phiomena Schwab, co-founder/CEO of Stray Fawn Studio, the creators of The Wandering Village, Dungeon Clawler, Nimbatus and Niche. She's the head of Stray Fawn's new publishing branch and she co-founded the Swiss Game Hub, a co-working space for game developers. We talk about what it takes to make successful games, community building, early access, publishing and women in game dev.
Links to my Guest
➤ Bootcamp games: Check out the games and leave a comment https://swissgamehub.itch.io/
➤ More learnings from Stray Fawn: https://strayfawnstudio.com/insights/
➤ Website: https://strayfawnstudio.com/
➤ X: https://x.com/PhilomenaSchwab
➤ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/philomenaschwab.bsky.social
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
1:17 - Game vs. Marketing
3:06 - Early Hits and Studio Formation
5:14 - From Hobby Team to Studio
6:43 - Community Building & Kickstarter
9:31 - EA to 1.0 With Community Push
11:16 - Finding First Fans & Adjacent Communities
15:55 - The Wandering Village: Fantasy-First
19:15 - Rapid Prototyping: Art vs. Gameplay
23:32 - Team Alignment & Genre Conventions
26:19 - Meaningful “Evil” Choices In Games
31:25 - Why Build in Public
32:23 - Kickstarter: When to Run or Skip
32:29 - 1.0 Bet: Localization, Delays & Beta Iteration
35:27 - Shifting to Small Bets
36:37 - Small-Project Playbook & Premium Mobile Sim-Ship
40:10 - Publishing Arm: Why & What Failed
42:18 - Publishing Is Mostly the Game
45:00 - Publishers, Funding & Deals
46:17 - Selecting Games & Avoiding Pitch Limbo
53:05 - What Publishers Evaluate: Demo, Proof & Better vs. Different
57:35 - Choosing Genres With Demand
59:50 - Bootcamp Validation & Itch Metrics
01:02:20 - Swiss Game Hub: 140-Dev Community
01:05:17 - Dungeon Clawler: “Claw Machine” Origin & Breakout
01:11:04 - Clones, Stolen Assets & Mobile Pitfalls
01:13:29 - What’s Next: Small Games, Story & Studio Votes
01:15:55 - Small Teams Fit; Brand Risk
01:18:49 - YouTube: Niche Passion vs. Mass Appeal
01:21:57 - Talking to Players & Moderation
01:24:06 - Own Your Audience: Newsletters, Discord & Events
01:28:33 - Swiss Game Dev Association & Many Hats
01:29:34 - Many Hats & Mental Load
01:33:19 - Wandering Village 1.0: Wishlist Conversion & Discounts
01:34:20 - Early Access vs. 1.0: Outcomes & Timing
01:35:38 - Why 1.0 Underperformed: Consoles, Genre & EA Length
01:39:27 - Post-Launch Priorities: Updates, Stretch Goals & Roadmaps
01:41:07 - Gender Balance, Role Models & Hiring
01:45:06 - Message to Future Women Game Devs
01:45:43 - Outro
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Erick Passos from Photon Engine (Exit Games Inc.), a company that provides networking solutions and server architecture for online multiplayer games. I try to understand more about how how online multiplayer works in general and in particular how to use Photon's Quantum and Fusion to develop online games faster.
Links to my Guest
➤ Photon Engine: https://www.photonengine.com/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:17 - The 3 Layers of Multiplayer Tech
4:56 - Photon’s Products Across the Stack
6:54 - Transport Layers & Steam Relay Limitations
8:02 - Fusion vs Quantum + Designing for the Envelope
10:36 - Start from the Top: When Transport‑Only Makes Sense (MMOs, Server Logic)
15:53 - From PUN to Modern Netcode + Notable Games
21:21 - State Replication vs Determinism Explained
24:49 - Why Shooters Prefer Client‑Server (Lag Comp, Interest Mgmt)
26:11 - Server Build, Shared Mode, and Architecture Clarified
28:04 - Anti‑Cheat in Quantum: Replays, Spectators, Server Sim
31:49 - Grow Gradually: From Zero Servers to Full Validation
34:38 - Under the Hood: Predict‑Rollback, Physics, ECS, AI
38:32 - No Ring Buffer: Constant‑Time Rollbacks
45:28 - Testing Online, Tooling, and Community
46:15 - When to Use Fusion Instead of Quantum
50:29 - Performance: Verified vs Predicted, Clamps & Culling
52:34 - Bots, Matchmaking Math, and AI Costs
56:49 - AI Design: Verified‑Only Planning + Operational Prediction
58:02 - Verified‑Only Code Paths & Performance Targets
01:01:48 - Time Slicing AI for Stability
01:02:52 - RTS in Quantum: Flow Fields, Culling, and Use Cases
01:09:19 - Lockstep vs Prediction: Why He Avoids Lockstep
01:12:04 - Handling Rollback Spikes with Scheduling Tricks
01:13:05 - Auto‑Battlers: Verified‑Only + Snapshot Interpolation
01:15:29 - Hidden Info & Simultaneous Decisions; Server‑Gated Commands
01:21:35 - Using Quantum Offline? Licensing & Terms
01:25:03 - Determinism, ECS, and Quantum’s Hybrid Tables
01:29:22 - Could There Be a Deterministic Engine Built on Quantum?
01:31:08 - Cross‑Engine Experiments & Engine Integrations
01:35:42 - Open Worlds: Fusion Player‑Hosted vs Quantum
01:37:10 - Quantum for Open Worlds: Voxels, Persistence, NavMesh, Procgen
01:46:08 - Where Engines Stand on Multiplayer (Unreal, Unity, Source)
01:51:32 - Pricing: Free 100 CCU and Scaling Costs
01:54:45 - Long‑Tail Costs & Keeping Servers Alive
01:57:40 - Game Preservation: LAN, Offline, and Local Servers
02:04:48 - What’s New: Fusion 2.1, Quantum 3.1, Unreal Betas
02:05:55 - First Multiplayer? Start Small and Prototype
02:08:12 - Prototyping: Quantum vs Fusion (Shared Mode)
02:10:30 - From Prototype to Production: Managing Complexity
02:14:11 - What Makes a Multiplayer Hit? Trends vs Design
02:16:29 - Fusion’s New Physics Forecasting
02:17:47 - Riding vs Making Trends (Landfall’s Streak)
02:21:02 - Dogfooding: Prototyping to Improve the Tools
02:24:26 - Closing & Thanks
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Youge Wen, aka. "Bearlike", the lead developer of my favorite strategy game Mechabellum, published by Dreamhaven, the publisher and developer founded by Blizzard's Mike Morhaime. We talk about the death spiral for online multiplayer games, game design, balancing for Mechabellum and exchange some advice with each other.
Links to my Guest
➤ Play Mechabellum on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/669330/Mechabellum/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Jonas on Mechabellum; how it was made?
1:13 - Two-person start in 2017; Mahjong/poker prototypes
4:53 - No moving units, Go’s influence, fixing Round 1 snowball
8:36 - Avoiding RTS snowball: equal income and reborn units
11:36 - Unity choice; simple, low-latency networking design
16:04 - Should you make a competitive auto-battler? (Don’t)
19:26 - Live service pain and the death spiral
22:16 - One bad update can kill an indie PvP game
25:02 - Balancing philosophy: define goals, fun over variety
27:45 - Double red/green: when to nerf (win rate vs pick rate)
31:10 - Unit design with spreadsheets; emergent counters & guidelines
37:16 - Counters without tags; armor experiments and why they failed
41:27 - Tech design, tradeoffs, complexity vs fun; balancing techs
46:56 - If you insist on PvP auto-battlers: know your goals
49:50 - Technical constraints and scoping to your team
52:03 - Monetization and positioning competitive strategy games
58:00 - External shocks; start with PvE; Bazaar-style offline PvP
01:00:15 - Fewer players and shorter matches to reduce concurrency
01:03:37 - Marketing, Early Access pitfalls, Battle Aces; co-op PvP prototype
01:08:08 - Managing community negativity and inevitable mistakes
01:12:56 - Balancing PvE: ensure tool use; buff enemies, not players
01:17:00 - Keeping old versions via Steam branches
01:19:23 - PvE/co-op opportunities; Thronefall co-op and saying no
01:25:51 - Scoping, minimal art, and fast content pipelines
01:26:52 - Meta shifts as side effects
01:28:54 - Team size; Out of Hand; art style and marketing lessons
01:33:07 - Mechabellum roadmap; armor hopes; expanding the universe
01:36:37 - Business reality: support what earns; risk vs reward
01:38:07 - Randomness vs determinism: upsets, styles, and info gaps
01:45:01 - Designing perceived fairness: RPS illusion and football
01:50:23 - Jonas’ next game; staying small; freelancers vs growth
01:54:17 - Endless Mode learnings and map persistence idea
01:58:10 - Wrap-up
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Huw Millward the creator of Warsim: The Realm of Aslona, an entirely text based asci kingdom simulation game (that was written to a single code file with 700K lines of code).
Links to my Guest
➤ Play Warsim on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/659540/Warsim_The_Realm_of_Aslona/
➤ Dim Parcio (Band): https://www.instagram.com/dimparcioband/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - Why WARSIM worked
1:52 - From tiny sales to quitting the day job
3:09 - Sticking with a "failed" game
5:06 - Obsessive Updates
10:10 - Procedural Generation and Emergent Stories
12:17 - The Throne Room’s Birth
17:11 - Roleplaying a ruler: many playstyles
20:59 - A 700k-line monolith
26:56 - Follow-the-fun workflow, 500 co-designers
31:16 - Moving beyond ASCII: new studio, higher stakes
33:12 - Text games: should you make them?
37:59 - Marketing a game with no graphics
42:42 - Word-of-mouth and biggest wins
46:39 - Slumbox reveal: city vs wasteland
50:18 - Choosing GameMaker over Unity
51:46 - Timeline, team, delegation, funding paths
55:56 - Life outside dev: band, GDC adventures, merging music and games
58:11 - Becoming a “real” game dev and balancing identities
01:00:10 - Advice for devs: persistence, build what you love, design smart, community
01:04:02 - Proc-gen principles and writing tips
01:10:09 - Jonas’ advice for Slumbox
01:12:01 - Jonas’ next project and goodbye
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Johan Grönvall who managed to succeed with his debut game Bopl Battle in some part due to his TikTok and YouTube Shorts strategy, in other parts due to his analytical perspective and going above and beyond to serve a strong vision for his game.
Links to my Guest
➤ Play Bopl Battle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1686940/Bopl_Battle/
➤ Johan's YouTube Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@johangronvall9473/shorts
0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Why He Quit His Job During The Pandemic
1:55 - The Game That Took 6 Years to Make
4:41 - Starting By Improving on an Unpopular Game
8:22 - The Motivation for Making Games
9:36 - The Big Rewrite: Creating His Own Engine in Unity
12:52 - What is Lockstep Networking?
15:23 - Why Building on Top of Unity Can Be a Mistake
18:48 - Coding Unique Physics That Unity Can't Handle
23:31 - The Only Marketing That Actually Worked
25:50 - How to Create Viral Shorts & TikToks
33:32 - How Many Wishlists Do Viral Videos Generate?
36:53 - A Genius Strategy for YouTube Content?
41:15 - Why the Demo Was Almost a Full Game
45:28 - Turning Bugs Into Beloved Features
51:30 - The Struggle to Start The Next Project
55:52 - The Explore vs. Exploit Dilemma for Creatives
59:14 - Chasing "Success" as a Motivator
1:03:47 - Why Indie Developers Should Be MORE Ambitious
1:10:09 - Succeeding By Doing Everything "Wrong"
1:16:33 - You Don't Have to Be a Super Genius to Succeed
1:19:33 - How to Avoid Delusion as a Developer
1:24:24 - What's More Important: A Fun Game or an Appealing Idea?
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
-
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest René Habermann who is behind games such as Domekeeper and PVKK (Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant), running a games studio called Bippinbits together with his wive. In this conversation we dive into how to validate your game ideas early.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist PVKK on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/PVKK_Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant/
➤ Play Domekeeper on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper/
➤ Bippinbits Website: https://bippinbits.com/
0:00 - Introduction
0:50 - Why Indie Games Fail
2:05 - The Minimalist Approach to Game Development
3:09 - Using Validation Points to Succeed
4:10 - Fun vs. Appeal: What's More Important?
8:00 - The Crucial Role of "Fantasy" in a Game's Success
12:21 - How YouTubers Can Spark a Game's Success
17:10 - Can a Game Succeed Without Appealing Visuals?
19:39 - Why Did Dome Keeper Work So Well on YouTube?
23:08 - Designing for Yourself vs. The Market
26:26 - "Make a Game You Enjoy": Good or Bad Advice?
32:03 - Using Itch.io and Game Jams to Test Ideas
39:05 - Is it Possible to Enjoy the "Tryhard" Approach to Game Dev?
43:27 - From a 3-Day Prototype to a Full Game
47:37 - The Demo vs. The Announcement: What to Do First?
59:10 - What to Do When a Validation Point Fails
01:06:17 - The Growth of Bippinbits Studio
01:17:30 - Rene's Role in a Growing Studio
01:23:18 - The "Mini-Teams" Approach to Scaling
01:30:21 - Sharing Profits With The Team
01:40:43 - Why Bippinbits Prefers the Godot Engine
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a Game Dev Podcast, today with my guest Benjamin Zuckerer from Cip Soft, the creators of Tibia, an MMO that has been under continuous operation and development for over 30 years. This is an entertaining and educational look behind the curtain of how to make and run online games that last for decades.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist Persist Online on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2082980/Persist_Online/
➤ Play Tibia Online: https://www.tibia.com/mmorpg/free-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game.php
➤ Jobs at Cip Soft, Germany: https://www.cipsoft.com/de/karriere/stellenangebote
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - The Origins of Tibia (1995)
3:04 - Pioneering the 'GMUD' Genre
4:25 - Tibia's Place in Early MMO History
5:37 - Surviving the Dot-Com Bubble
8:43 - Inventing the Freemium Model
10:44 - The Story Behind the Name 'CipSoft'
12:32 - Development Before Modern Tools
13:48 - Company Growth & Evolving Roles
15:21 - The First Mobile MMORPG & Launch Strategy
17:29 - Joining the Games Industry
19:13 - The Role of a Product Manager
22:58 - The 'Duping' Problem in MMOs
28:25 - Team Culture & Security Threats
32:50 - Single Player vs. Online Game Development
37:28 - Why There Is No Tibia 2
42:26 - The Struggle for a Second Hit
47:08 - The Birth of 'Persist Online'
51:12 - From Manager to Maker and Back
53:43 - Building the 'Persist Online' Team
57:09 - Prototyping & Co-Developing With the Community
1:01:45 - How to Listen to Your Players
1:07:21 - The Early Access Development Model
1:11:00 - The Economics of Free-to-Play
1:17:49 - Ethical Monetization
1:23:38 - CipSoft & Persist Online Today
1:27:53 - 20% Time: Fostering Innovation
1:31:04 - Testing 'Persist Online' (Pre-Alpha)
1:35:45 - The Challenges of Launching on Steam
1:45:28 - 'Persist Online's' Steam Release Strategy
1:53:57 - Advice for Indie Online Game Developers
2:02:13 - The Exponential Cost of Making Online Games
2:11:14 - Why Make Online Games? The Service Model
2:17:17 - Engaging Players with a Limited Scope
2:22:13 - Outro & Final Advice
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Gavin Eisenbeisz (Two Star) and your host Jonas Tyroller. In this episode I want to learn how to make wildly successful indie games that go viral a lot.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist Cuffbust on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2592220/CUFFBUST/
➤ 2nd Channel (Game Design): @ScientiaLudos
➤ Main Channel: @TwoStarGames
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Look Where The Market Is Going
4:02 - What Makes For a Viral Game Idea
9:05 - Designing For Content Creators
15:33 - How Rare Are Million Dollar Game Ideas
19:47 - Why High Action Games Are Bad For Retention
26:01 - Creating Brand Recognition
31:43 - Mass Content Ability
35:36 - When To Scrap Your Idea
37:35 - The No-Prototypes Approach
41:08 - Using The Trailer To Test Demand
44:36 - How Content Creators Line Up To Play Your Game
47:28 - Concept vs. Execution | What Matters Most
51:18 - Indicators That You're On Track
53:31 - Having Your Own YouTube Channel
59:14 - Learning and Theory Crafting | Why and How
1:04:38 - Gavin About Not Enjoying Game Dev As Much Anymore
1:08:40 - Gavin and I Compare Our Approaches
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
