Author: Link S

Episode 9 – Conversation with @Awesreek

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Awesreek, one of the lead developers/creators of Viscerafest. A first person shooter where you play as Caroline, a mercenary taking on a bounty so she can afford an engagement ring to propose to her boyfriend Athens.

Going to try the descriptions a little differently this time, and instead of trying to write it all out and risk not doing it enough justice (And at risk of bumping against character limits haha), I’m going to refer to the times and a little broader description of those times.

(2:15 – 9:45) In this conversation we discuss how he got into game development and advice he can give for other developers based on his experiences and what he might suggest not to do.

(9:45 – 16:00) We talk about some of his favourite games (And show) when he was younger and how he enjoyed the Battlefield series

(16:15 – 19:00) We touch on games, and tv shows, that didn’t age as well as they could have. Especially kids shows and licensed tie ins.

(19:00 – 28:30) We go back to discussing the kinds of games he played when he was younger and how he remembers and feels about those games looking back on it, and how some older games seem to hold up better due to the scope of what they were trying to do when met with the limitations of the technology at the time.

(28:30 – 43:30) We shift to discussing current favourite games with that primarily being Doom Eternal and begin discussing Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. Awesreek shares his opinions on what he feels Doom 2016 did, and didn’t execute well and how he feels these things were improved upon in the next entry in the series.

(43:30 – 48:45) We then talk about a game called Powerslave also known as Exhumed which he feels is an rather unknown and older first person shooter.

(48:45 – 58:00) I ask about his view on the games fandom and how creators are able to interact with its fans, and how he interacts with his lively and active Discord server.

58:00 – 01:xx:xx) We wrap it up with Awesreek making sure everyone knows where they can find more information

To learn more about Viscerafest, or to join the Discord server, check out the links below

Join the Viscerafest Discord by clicking following this link : discord.gg/E2pUkxe

To get updates on the game, sneak peaks, or pictures of Awesreek’s cat follow his Twitter @Awesreek

Be sure to check out the games Steam Page to follow and wishlist it!

Episode 8 – Conversation with Liz MacDonell @LizMacD22 of Clever Plays

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Liz MacDonell, community manager at Clever Plays. An indie game studio based out of Montreal, developers of Leap of Fate, and Operation Tango (Which as of this time, now has a release date!)

In this conversation, I talk with Liz about the Clever Plays studio and having the company based in a city with a lot of other indie game dev studios and the kind of environment it creates (00:00 – 5:00)

We discuss Liz’s background and how she got into her role at Clever Plays by initially creating an “unofficial stream team” with a collection of other streamers and getting her feet wet being a community manager for the group Jabroni TV where she learned how to juggle such roles of managing social media, and schedules, and video editing which prepared her for the opportunity at Clever Plays. She also touches on how important it is to have a great support group that is going to help push you to succeed (5:00 -11:30)

Liz also shares some advice on what she feels has helped her prepare for her role and that to always be willing to learn and polish your skills. She makes an important point as well about the difficulties of getting into the role as it requires having the right voice and passion for the studio, and that when looking for a role like this, to keep your motivation up as being the right fit is incredibly important and you’ll eventually find one that is the right fit for you and the studio. (11:30 – 17:10)

We then talk about how Liz got into video games and what her fond memories of her first console and favorite PS2 game, Dark Cloud. Having to share the experience with her brother and the two getting to experience the game together. As well discussing her experience with Dark Cloud and potentially enjoying its sequel (17:10 – 28:00)

We move on to then talking about what she is playing and enjoying now, and Liz touches on the beauty of playing co-op games and how you can share and experience games together. One of the important things Liz brings up is the joy you can get from enjoying a game with friends and how it only enhances the experience, especially now during the pandemic when it’s harder and harder to actually spend time together with people. (28:00 – 35:10)

We briefly touch on a game she felt did not hold up well, in this case Harvest Moon Save The Homeland for the PS2, and while I can and will agree with Liz that it did a lot of things that paved the way for future Harvest Moon games, I will also agree with her that it really is not the best entry to start with in the series. (35:10 – 41:00) and quickly move on to discussing trends she has enjoyed seeing rise, and how she enjoys the rogue-like/lite genre and even enjoys watching other people play them more. We continue this discussion on rogue-likes, specifically Hades, and how even if you aren’t able to play at a high level, being able to enjoy it via another person, or playing it on its “easy” mode without having to struggle with some of the difficulties of the genre. This leads to the discussion of being able to enjoy watching video games on services like Twitch and being able to share their experience with them and the community (41:00 – 56:00)

I would have been remiss if I didn’t ask Liz, the community manager, her thoughts on the landscape for being able to communicate with fans easier thanks to the technology as well as the importance of trying to create a welcoming community and try and foster its growth. (56:00 – 1:07:00)

We wrap it up with Liz giving some more information on their asymmetrical game, Operation Tango, what it’s about and where you can find more information for it (Links can be found below in the link tree!)

To learn more about Clever Plays, check out their Link Tree below which includes their Twitter, Twitch, website, and everything else to stay up to date with them and to participate in their community!

Click here to view their linktree

To read more of what Liz has to, check her out on Twitter @LizMacD22

To learn more about the collective group she mentioned in the episode, check out their site at http://jabroni.tv/

Episode 7 – Conversation with Max Mraz @11Mraz

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Max Mraz, developer of Ocean’s Heart. A 2D Zelda inspired game where you explore an archipelago as the game’s heroine Tilla.

In this conversation we discuss where some of his inspirations for the game came from and the feeling he was looking to instill in the game, and the satisfaction found while exploring forests.

We discuss some of his best advice being to start small with projects that are going to be easier to learn from and iterate on with experience. With this, it also allows to take what works best and better integrate it from the very beginning in gameplay mechanics.

We discuss that some of his favorite games as a child being Pokemon Crystal and Zelda Oracle of Seasons due to their emphasis on exploration. This leading to the Zelda series meaning the most to him due to their constant focus on exploration and discovery.

We briefly discuss older games having numerous platform releases, leading to the learning experience there was a Tom and Jerry cartoon movie in the early 90s and how it is, really not worth the time to chase down or watch (No really, you’re safe to ignore it and just move on).

We talk about some of his other favorite games, Wario Advance as well as the Bionicles series which was part of a sprawling series that had games, movies, comics, all interconnected across multiple different mediums… Including a flash game as a sequel to a Gameboy Advance game.

We also talk about how Max is able to get back to feeling the magic of his childhood with his Saturday morning ritual of being able to spend time relaxing, making cinnamon rolls and playing video games, finding the ability to be carefree even if for a few hours. As well, having a game with a set story and advancement creating his ideal gaming time.

We also talk about older games and their evolution of the narrative being expanded upon, and consistently becoming a primary focus of games with story being just as important as everything else. We also discuss the evolution of gameplay mechanics getting better, and in the case of older camera controls, just how far they’ve come over the last 20 years.

We also discuss how it is important to draw a line when engaging with your audience and fans can be fun, but it is still important to protect yourself against both ends of the extreme and avoid getting into a negative or positive feedback loop and not allow yourself to drown in what everyone is saying.

You can find out more about Max’s game Ocean’s Heart, as well as his smaller side project games at the links below, as well as follow him for more of his own updates via the Twitter link as well

Oceans Heart on Steam

Max’s Itch.IO Page

Max’s Twitter @11Mraz

Episode 6 – Conversation with Oscar Brittain @moomoomang

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Oscar Brittain, one of the developers at Henry’s House, currently working on the storefront management game Kardboard King’s.

In this conversation, we discuss what kind of game Kardboard King’s is and what the intentions behind it were, and how they were trying to recapture the feeling of going to the card shop as a kid and getting to enjoy that feeling.

We discuss how a surgery lead to him discovering video games, and then how getting laid off from his job lead him down a path of going back to school and then inevitably to him deciding to just go for it and take the plunge to try and make a video game.

Oscar also had a unique approach to learning to make games by focusing more on learning good design principles before trying to make something.

We also talk about how Oscar enjoys games can be completely unique and deliver a new and surprising experience, and how games, such as Ubisoft games, can deliver exactly what you expect and how those can create a juxtaposition to entirely different games and help you appreciate new and different elements all the more. With Oscar also not playing a lot of games when he was younger, he shares how playing older games is always surprising to see what great ideas older games were able to deliver on, and what older game ideas are still present today.

You can find more information about Henrys House and their projects below:

Kardboard King’s on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1298480/Kardboard_Kings/

Nanomon Virtual Pet on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1498060/Nanomon_Virtual_Pet/

Henry’s House Twitter @HenrysHouseAU

Oscar Brittain’s Twitter @moomoomang

Episode 5 – Conversation with Rich Vreeland @DisasterPeace

Posted on | by Link S

So it seems I hit some more technical issues, however this time they are on my end! I have a small echo that seems to come and go – I believe these are related to the recording method and hopefully I am able to correct them for the future episodes! Live and learn haha

In this episode I speak with Rich Vreeland, and as his website bio says, “ties the name Disasterpeace to the things he sends into the sonic ether. Disasterpeace has over 50 albums to its credit, in addition to having designed, scored and programmed sound and music related things in a number of mediums including games, film, television and theatre. Rich is particularly interested in creative novelty and lives in Los Angeles.“

We discuss many things, such as how he got his start, advice on how others can get into this field from his own experiences, and how pushing forward regardless of how out of your element you are can lead to good things.

From his start doing music on a role playing wrestling forum, to finding and getting involved in the TigSource forums. How he came to enjoying game music, what he liked, and spending way too much time for my mental sanity talking about Marble Madness. As well as the kind of newer/current game music he is enjoying.

We also touch on despite how easily accessible the gaming market is, it also creates a situation where it’s difficult to find a game to enjoy as you’re inundated with so many options (And how this isn’t unique to games, but most entertainment medians).

We also talk about his views on social media and how he chooses to interact with it and how it works best for him, and a certain game he can’t quite get into.

You can learn more about Rich by checking out his website below, and I strongly encourage everyone to do so –

DisasterPeace.com

Episode 4 – A conversation with Miguel Sternberg @SpookySquid

Posted on | by Link S

Unfortunately right out the gate I need to extend an apology to Miguel. We had some technical difficulties during the recording, and I was not confident enough in how I should let him know this until it was too late. In the future I will have a better idea of how to tackle this in the event it comes up, but that doesn’t fix my inexperience for this episode.

In this conversation I speak with Miguel Sternberg, developer at Spooky Squid Games, a microstudio known for creating Russian Subway Dogs a score attack game where you play as a subway dog trying to steal food from passengers on the metro, and They Bleed Pixels a brutally challenging platformer with an Eldritch twist.

We discuss what Spooky Squid Games is, what working at a microstudio is like and how it can feel different from working within larger organizations/teams on projects, and potential inspirations for future projects.

We also discuss how Miguel got into the industry, starting with friends making hobby projects on the Game Boy Color, and Capybara games, and then into the freelance world starting with cell phone games before landing in his own studio where he could work on his own projects.

You can find more information about SpookySquid games via the information below:

Spooky Squid Games webpage: spookysquid.com
Twitter: @spookysquid

Also check out Russian Subway Dogs, and They Bleed Pixels at the store links below!

Russian Subway Dogs on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/762610/
They Bleed Pixels on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/211260/
They Bleed Pixels on Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/they-bleed-pixels-switch/

Episode 3 – Conversation with Matt Dabrowski @madguy90

Posted on | by Link S

In this conversation, I speak with Matt Dabrowski, creator of Streets of Rogue, a top down rogue-like that provides a near endless amount combinations and a hilarious amount of freedom to play however you want.

We discuss where Matt got his start making games on the proto-Unreal engine, as well as starting his gaming journey with FPS titles like Wolfenstein and Doom… Interesting food for thought, but it’s never the mothers that bought their kids Doom, it was always the fathers. As well as the evolution of the arcade/boomer shooter genre, point and click and adventure game.

We also touch on why Matt wanted to make a rogue-like game that he describes as an immersive sim rogue like. Matt also makes a very good point that investigating the market when making a game, that knowing the current market and what is going to be well received and potentially successful. As well as what to potentially look forward to in his next game.

If you have never played Streets of Rogue before, it is highly recommended and can be enjoyed alone or with friends.

You can find more information for Streets of Rogue via the information below:

Website: Streets of Rogue

And can follow Matt at @madguy90 on Twitter

Episode 2 – Conversation with Tom Beardsmore @Coatsink

Posted on | by Link S

In this conversation I speak with Tom Beardsmore, co-founder of the development studio and publisher, Coatsink.

We discuss where and how Coatsink got its start, starting out as a mobile game developer, finding time to play games with a family and sometimes the sacrifices we have to make to do so. As well as other topics.

If you’ve never played any games developed or published by Coatsink, I highly recommend it. They have a variety of games you can read more about on their website, however two of their more recent games, Cake Bash and PHOGS, are both great games that are both fun and enjoyable and I can’t help but recommend them enough.

You can find more information about Coatsink via the information below:

Website: https://coatsink.com/

Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook @Coatsink

And you can also find more information about Tom by checking out his Twitter @WhyAlwaysMad

Episode 1 – Conversation with Michael Brown @Boneloaf

Posted on | by Link S

With the first episode of The Red Tunic Podcast, I had a conversation with Michael, one of the three brothers behind the Boneloaf development team and Gang Beasts.

Episode 1 via Anchor

In this conversation we discuss how Gang Beasts came to be, some of Michael’s favorite games, some wild “show” ideas for Gang Beasts, and how Michael finds DOTA2 is a good way for him to relax.

However, one of the most important things I think Michael touches on is that we need to remember developers are people too, just trying to create what they feel is best for their game and that just because the product they are making is meant to be enjoyed, shouldn’t create an atmosphere where we allow toxicity to bleed out when we aren’t happy with some of their changes. Basically, we’re all people and we have to be kind to each other, especially when the product is meant to bring joy and happiness.

If you have never played, or really heard of Gang Beasts, I encourage everyone to look into it. It is a great party game that never ceases to amuse me, and I recommend everyone check out their Twitter to see some of the wild GIFs they post up just to give an idea of what fun can come.

You can find more information about Gang Beasts via the information below

Website: http://gangbeasts.game

Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @gangbeasts & @boneloaf

You can read about upcoming updates that will apply to at https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/285900