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PODCAST

The Secret Lives of Games

The Secret Lives of Games

Candid conversations with game creators that dive deep into the art, craft, and process of making games.

leisure video games

All Episodes

02:21:32

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Bonus Episode!

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/04/29

Surprise! In the spirit of SMW's bonus worlds, we're back with a Special episode to cap off our deep-dive miniseries, as previous Into the Depths guests Stephanie Boluk and Patrick LeMieux take us on a tour of some of the coolest SMW ephemera yet! Show notes: Stephanie Boluk Patrick LeMieux Tons of links this week, so please check out this great syllabus that Patrick put together for us!

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02:06:35

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 5

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/04/15

In the fifth - and final! - installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, streamer/speedrunner Grand POOBear joins us to discuss the uncanny valley of SMW Remade From Memory, and the masterful Super 'Sonic Saves the World' World romhack by the mysterious 'Maddy, allegedly'. Show Notes: GrandPOOBear The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe DougDoug SMW Remade From Memory Super 'Sonic Saves the World' World Grand Poo World 2 Invictus SMW romhack Luminescent SMW romhack Celeste.smc Spelunky 2

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02:02:29

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 4

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/04/01

In the fourth installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Davey Wreden (The Stanley Parable) joins us to discuss the infamous Star and Special worlds, and walk us through the ever-evolving, often hilarious culture of Kaizo Mario. Show notes: Davey Wreden The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe The Beginner's Guide Ivy Road Elden Ring VICE article The Japanese names for the Special courses Asshole Mario Stage 1 Asshole Mario Stage 10 Asshole Mario 2 Stage 9 Claustrophobia Kaizo hack Icing

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01:34:57

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 3

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/03/18

In the third installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, David Hellman (Braid) joins us to discuss the aesthetics of SMW, touch on its recent widescreen mod, and suffer through the game's worst world and level (while savoring the interesting bits). Show notes: David Hellman Braid: Anniversay Edition Satoru Iwata tribute The eyes on question mark blocks Mario shades of red SMW widescreen mod SMW jazz fusion album Homework for next episode: Star World Special World Watch some

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01:56:31

89: Elden Ring roundtable with Jake Kazdal (17-Bit)

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/03/11

Our friend Jake Kazdal (17-Bit) joins us for a (spoiler-free!) roundtable discussion of Elden Ring, in which we compare our experiences in FromSoftware's latest monsterpiece, consider the inseparable nature of its community, and deliberate its bolder design decisions. Show notes: Jake Kazdal 17-BIt Elden Ring Souls (series) Resident Evil 7 Nick's home invasion thread Clint Hocking on the virtues of exploration Lord of the Rings (films) Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Discovery Tour There's no such

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01:52:27

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 2

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/02/25

In the second installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns of Metanet Software (N++) join us to talk about the inertia that makes Mario feel like Mario, the beautiful strangeness of the cape, and just how deep SMW's control quirks go. Show notes: Metanet Software N++ The Story of Super Mario World Elasto Mania Bernard Suits MineRalph Gish Tumbledown Drive Jiggly Zone Making History with Summoning Salt Kaizo Kindergarden The Decade-Long Quest for Shadow

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02:11:18

Into the Depths: Super Mario World - Part 1

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/02/11

In the first installment of our Super Mario World deep-dive miniseries, Derek Yu (Spelunky) and Maddy Thorson (Celeste) join us to talk about our personal histories with the game, its iconic world map and multi-layered secrets, and all sorts of Mario ephemera in-between. Show notes: Super Mario World Derek Yu Maddy Thorson Ep. 75: Finding our Intersection Tastes Kaizo Mario SMW as an "athletic game" Atheltic Theme The Wizard (1989) Mario death sprite How to get 50+ lives in SMW LOVE

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01:56:40

88: Welcoming Sarah!

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/01/28

We celebrate Sarah Elmaleh as a permanent new member of the cast! Yay Sarah! We also announce the next Into the Depths series, dive into some wildly different topics du jour, and answer your questions! Show notes: Sarah Elmaleh Super Mario World "King Me": A Defense of King-Making in Board Game Design Shut Up & Sit Down Root review Line Goes Up - The Problem with NFTs Wordle The Saturday Paper - Wordle Wordles of the World Lingo UK Wordle as poetry generator The Wreck The Red Lantern The Beatles:

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01:42:28

87: Fighting Words with Everybody House Games (Babble...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2022/01/14

Frank and James Lantz of Everybody House Games join us to discuss their tactical word-slinging free-for-all, Babble Royale. We discuss the built-in texture of language, reconsidering elegance, and why not: we phone a few friends for some live rounds of Hey Robot. Show notes: Frank Lantz James Lantz Everybody House Games Hey Robot Babble Royale Babble Royale beginner's guide Babble Royale advanced guide Chris Hecker Scrabble Wordle Typeshift Nethack A Wizard of Earthsea Wordnik Starcraft: Brood War

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02:28:37

86: Games of the Year 2021

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/12/31

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

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01:26:30

85: Thinking Outside the Box with Witch Beam (Unpacking)

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/12/17

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

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01:27:53

84: Digging the Rabbit Hole with Daniel Mullins...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/12/03

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

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01:32:49

83: Getting Feedback with Derek Yu

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/11/19

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

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48:04

82: Nurturing a Spark with NamaTakahashi (ElecHead)

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/11/05

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

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01:14:04

81: Scaling and Scoping with Asher Vollmer (Beast...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/10/22

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

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01:42:42

80: Envisioning a Future with JETT: The Far Shore

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/10/08

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

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01:18:09

79: Shifting Perspectives in Storytelling with...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/09/24

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

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01:06:44

78: Making Myths with Worldwalker Games (Wildermyth)

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/09/10

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

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01:19:00

77: Learning to Let Go with GoodbyeWorld Games...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/08/27

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

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01:36:53

76: Seeing For Yourself with Tali Faulkner (Umurangi...

The Secret Lives of Games ·

2021/08/13

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'

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