The Spelunky Showlike

Recurring GOTY guest / immersive puzzle designer Laura E. Hall joins Sarah Elmaleh and the rest of our crew to count down our Top 5 games of 2021, alongside picks from previous guests and our listeners. Happy New Year! Show notes: Laura E. Hall Planning Your Escape The Traveler's Guide to Little Sodaburg Ynglet 101% Completion Guide Find Satoshi Laura's Animal Crossing: New Horizons Dream Code: DA-9271-2414-8564 Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS): Zach: Monster Hunter RiseDeath’s DoorMetroid FusionWordleHalo Infinite Sarah:Mass Effect (1) Legendary EditionWildermythThe Maze on Planet 7 (streaming)It Takes TwoKentucky Route Zero Nick:Sea of ThievesElecheadIt Takes TwoGuardians of the GalaxyInscryption Doug: Survivor, South Africa, Season 8Ynglet Learned LeagueAlien (folk game)Factions (Discord game by Doug) Andy:Ynglet (Skee Mask - Pool)Unpacking (Porter Robinson - Nurture)Kentucky Route Zero (Low - HEY WHAT)Inscryption (Squid - Bright Green Field)Babble Royale (Madlib - Sound Ancestors) Laura:The Forgotten CityValhei

Witch Beam's Wren Brier and Tim Dawson join us to discuss their cozy zen puzzle game, Unpacking. We chat about the origins of its subtle narrative, living life on the grid, and the generous details that make it feel like home. Show notes: Witch Beam Assault Android Cactus Unpacking Wren Brier Tim Dawson Stugan Aseprite Making Generous Games with Terry Cavanagh The UI Artist's Survival Kit Cohesion is Key: Art Direction for Indies  

Daniel Mullins (Pony Island, The Hex) joins us to discuss his inky black card-based odyssey, Inscryption. We discuss [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted]. Just go play it, then come back and listen. Thanks also to our guest co-host Star St. Germain! Show notes: Daniel Mullins Games Inscryption Pony Island The Hex Daniel's Itch Page Star St. Germain Magic: The Gathering Arena Slay the Spire Boss Fight Books - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Buddy Simulator 1984 Hidden my game by mom Sam Barlow ARG video with Daniel Masquerade book Borg vs McEnroe

Our old pal and Spelunky creator Derek Yu stops by to discuss his helpful blog post on how to think about feedback on your game. We discuss sympathetic vs unsympathetic feedback, thinking about feedback across your entire creative practice, and why feedback can be valuable beyond the content itself. Show notes: Derek Yu Indie Game Dev: Getting Feedback Osmos Creativity, Inc. One Night Ultimate Werewolf Slay the Spire: Metrics Driven Design and Balance Lil' Dozer Playtesting: Avoiding Evil Data Hannah Nicklin on Critical Response r/DestoryMyGame

ElecHead creator NamaTakahashi joins us to discuss his inventive puzzle-platformer, one of our favorites in years. We discuss the indie scene in Japan, making a game about secrets, and how to avoid players getting too "full" on your game. Big thanks to Chao from Asobu for translation help! Show notes: NamaTakahashi Indie Brains podcast (Japanese language) ElecHead (also on Steam) Chao Zen Makers Fund Asobu Branching Paths Archipel Enhance Experience Celeste VVVVVV NamaTakahashi profile video Downwell Toki Tori 2

We're joined by Asher Vollmer (Threes) to discuss the mouse-bouncing adventure Beast Breaker, the debut game from his studio Vodeo Games. We discuss the perils of overscoping, scaling up (and back down), and building a studio ethos. Show notes: Asher Vollmer Vodeo Games Threes IndieCade Awards Royals holedown Ballz BBTan Monster Hunter The Witcher A Playful Production Process

Craig D. Adams (Superbrothers A/V) and Patrick McAllister (Pine Scented Software) join us as they embark on the release of their interstellar adventure JETT: The Far Shore. We cover its 10+ year development, telling a small piece of a big story, and assembling the right squad to help land it. Show notes: JETT: The Far Shore Superbrothers A/V Pine Scented Software Fatal Inertia Sworcery ARG? Jim Guthrie scntfc MotorStorm: Pacific Rift Monster Hunter Fumito Ueda Ralph McQuarrie 17-BIT Getting Things Done

Variable State co-founders Jonathan Burroughs, Terry Kenny, and Lyndon Holland pop by to chat about their supernatural anthology drama Last Stop. We discuss capturing London through its details, telling an interconnected story across multiple genres, and the importance of pacing. Show notes: Variable State Virginia Last Stop Hannah Nicklin Attack the Block Fleabag Firewatch Thirty Flights of Loving Primer timeline Dunkirk

We're joined by Anne Austin and Nate Austin of Worldwalker Games to explore their charming myth-making tactical RPG, Wildermyth. We dig into the challenges of procedural storytelling, clever ways of handling time passage and death, and capturing a tabletop feel without the table. Show notes: Wildermyth Worldwalker Games AI-Driven Dynamic Dialog through Fuzzy Pattern Matching The Thing (video game) The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 (board game) Descent: Journeys in the Dark XCOM Spirit of the Century

Graham Parkes and Bela Messex of GoodbyeWorld Games join us to discuss their beautiful, blink-controlled adventure through the afterlife, Before Your Eyes. We discuss the benefits of disempowerment, working off faith in technology, and teaching players to let go. Show notes: Before Your Eyes GoodbyeWorld Games Graham Parkes Bela Messex Little Bug Close Your Blendo Games Walter Murch's In the Blink of An Eye Death of a Salesman C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce Where You Are short film

We chat to Umurangi Generation's Tali Faulkner about his (IGF grand prize-winning!) "first-person photography game in the sh*tty future." We discuss keeping scope small while having a lot to say, the role of respectful design and Indigenous knowledge, and positioning players to see for themselves. Show notes: Tali Faulkner Umurangi Generation Sarah Elmaleh Shooting the Apocalypse by Jini Maxwell Freeplay Parallels 2020 talk Neon Genesis Evangelion British nuclear tests at Maralinga ThorHighHeels' OST Umberto Eco's UR-FASCISM

For our 75th episode special, we endeavor to find which games lie at the intersection of our tastes, talking through our ranking algorithm and counting down our top 22 games. Thanks for all the support so far! Show notes: Sportsfriends Knytt StepMania 0SPACE The Little Prince  Let's Mosey: A Slow Translation of Final Fantasy VII Chrono Trigger by Michael P. Williams Chrono Trigger Mixtape Losing Your Grip: Futility and Dramatic Necessity in Shadow of the Colossus Arcane Kids Manife$to Kaizo Mario TENNNES TENORI-ON Our Top 22 (SPOILERS): 10th place: Super Puzzle Fighter N++ Katamari Damacy Dance Dance Revolution 9th place: Samurai Gunn 8th place: Everyday Shooter 7th place: Kentucky Route Zero Fez The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 6th place: Super Mario Kart Super Mario Galaxy Portal Final Fantasy VII Doom 5th place: Mario 64 Drop7 Desert Golfing Chrono Trigger 4th place: Shadow of the Colossus 3rd place: Spelunky 2 2nd place: Spelunky HD 1st place: Super Mario World

The second special episode originally created in partnership with AMC Games for the in-flight entertainment of Airplane Mode, a very literal flight simulator. We chat about ritual in games, rethinking our relationship to time, and bringing it to bear on our own work and play. Show notes: Lifeline... Shadow of the Colossus Tharsis Star Trek: Discovery The Castles of Burgundy  Lost Cities Desert Bus Pippin Barr's Durations Marina Abramović’s The Artist is Present Zach’s Transit Meditation San Andreas Deer Cam Dishonored Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour Grand Theft Auto Pacifist The Traveling Swordsman Problem Nick's Thanksgiving Blade Triptych Casey Reas’ Processing How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy Delayed Response: The Art of Waiting From the Ancient to the Instant World The Great British Bake Off Apex Legends VESPER.5 Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP Brandon Sanderson

Aconite founders Star St. Germain and Nadya Lev and lead designer Scott Jon Siegel join us to discuss their beautiful, mixed reality mind bender HoloVista. We chat about embracing hidden object game design, telling personal stories through a lens of social media, and subverting the selfie museum. Show notes: HoloVista Star St. Germain Nadya Lev Scott Jon Sigel Aconite Coilhouse The Fallen Cosmos SFZero Journey to the End of the Night Ian Bogost Jane McGonigal Gardens of Time How Return of the Obra Dinn Works  Mariode Blake Kathryn Nour: Play With Your Food Andrew Morgan Andi Hegedus  MTV Cribs Meow Wolf teamLab Museum of Ice Cream Strix Cory O'Brien LiveJournal Sara Carr Mesmer & Braid: The Alternate Reality Game Steve Peters  Nick Tierce 

Jakub Wasilewski of Beetlewing joins us to talk about his new grand-yet-bite-sized space strategy game, Slipways. We discuss game feel as inspiration, breaking your game for fun and profit, and limiting your universe to expand your audience. Show notes: Jakub Wasilewski Beetlewing Slipways PICO-8 Indie Fund Celeste hearthstone Pocket-Run Pool Twilight Imperium Teomachia (Jakub's board game) Master of Orion Magic: The Gathering SpellTower Slay the Spire Tom Francis

Evan Anthony and Jeremy Abel of Feral Cat Den join us to discuss their inspired cosmic adventure game, Genesis Noir. We discuss the aesthetics of interaction, processing your game launch, and shooting for the stars with your ending. Show notes: Feral Cat Den Evan Anthony Jeremy Abel Genesis Noir Vectorpark Hohokum GNOG Cosmicomics Reaktor Florence Skillbard Oikospiel Inside Busby Berkeley Rez Marcin Zeglinski Interstellar L.A. Noire Wabi-sabi Kintsukuroi

Die Gute Fabrik's Studio Lead Hannah Nicklin joins us to discuss her writing and narrative design work on their sublime mutant soap opera, Mutazione. We discuss working with time and an ensemble cast to create a story with "multiple middles," embracing the scars of a lengthy development cycle, and the best bikes in video games. Show notes: Hannah Nicklin Die Gute Fabrik Mutazione Into the Depths: The Music of Mutazione - Part 1 Divised theater Grey’s Anatomy Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Narrative Design Sliding Doors Multiple Middles & Mutazione Kentucky Route Zero Critical Response Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft N+1 a bike/game zine Sokpop's Digital Bird Playground

We sit down with Creative Producer Ben Wilson to discuss the thrilling cooperative trick-taking game The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, and how the game builds on and subverts precedents like Spades and Bridge. Show notes: Ben Wilson Wizard Jam Spelunky Dare Challenge Bot Trick-taking games The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine The Crew - A Card Game for Everyone Skat Hearts Spades Bridge Zach's Grit Bourre Hanabi The Perfect Game of Hanabi Ha Ha Ha! game Codenames #remoteplay: Playing in a Pandemic, Part 2

In the final installment of our Kentucky Route Zero miniseries, we sit down with two of its creators - Jake Elliott and Ben Babbitt - to discuss the origins of their collaboration, drawing from influences beyond games, and the process of working on such a long-term project. Show notes: Kentucky Route Zero Jake Elliott Ben Babbitt Stephanie Boluk  Patrick LeMieux Sarah Elmaleh A House in California KRZ Kickstarter Pillars and Tongues Dog and Bone are Friends Jon Cates Critcal Artware Demoscene  Ableton .microsound Magic Matrix Mixer Mountain Sidequest The Museum of Jurassic Technology Jorge Luis Borges Balloon Diaspora

Gloam Collective's Min-Taylor Bai-Woo and Damian Sommer join us to chat about their thrilling new turn-based fighter Bravery Network Online. We discuss the design of its Pokémon-inspired battles, the clever ways in which they replaced randomness, and making friends in the post-post-apocalypse. Show notes: Gloam Collective Min-Taylor Bai-Woo Damian Sommer Bravery Network Online Guillaume Singelin OKAYKELLYK Emily Carroll Pokémon Showdown! droqen Good BNO example match w/ commentary BNO first tournment playlist Daigo Umehara Star Wars: Destiny Magic: The Gathering - Commander Final Fantasy Tactics Splatoon Yomi Umurangi Generation PATH