Author: Link S

Episode 15 – Conversation with Ducky Dev, John Szymanski @Ducky_Szymanski

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with John Szymanski, developer of Rubber Ducky, Kyle is Famous, Charlotte’s Exile (As part of the Dread X Collection), and currently working on MFN and EvoMorphs.

Start – 1:30 – Introduction

1:30 – 5:45 – John and I discuss odd jobs, and odd questions.

5:45 – 12:30 – We discuss Kyle is Famous and, basically, why it exists. As well as it’s sequel/complete version has in store.

12:30 – 28:30 – We discuss what got John into making games and advice from his experiences he might have to share with others looking to get into the field.

28:30 – 38:30 – We discuss John’s favorite video games and as a child and what they were and branch into a discussion about point and click games such as Myst.

38:30 – 46:30 – We discuss what makes gaming enjoyable to John and whether gaming as a family played any part of it

46:30 – End – I turn the floor over to John where we discuss some of his other projects in brief, specifically Evomorphs a tactics based monster collecting game, and his currently untitled MFN game that is better left to check out his Twitter for more information on.

Check out the below links for information about John and what his projects are

Check John out on Twitter at twitter.com/Ducky_Szymanski

Check out the game John and Evan are working on, Evomorphs https://twitter.com/evomorphs

Join the Evomorphs Discord to learn more about it’s devlopment and chat with others about Evomorphs http://discord.gg/TPNFGCd

Episode 14 – Conversation with game developer Kira @Stylish_Kira

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Kira, developer and founder at Kira, developer of Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion, Lost in Vivo, and contributor to the DreadXP series and maker of Uktena 64!

00:00 – 1:30 – Introduction

1:30 – 9:00 – We talk about what made Kira land on the horror genre and why they feel it is easy to them, what they enjoy about the genre, what they think makes a good horror game/movie

9:00 -14:30 – We talk about what got Kira into making games and advice they might give to those based on their experiences.

14:30 – 15:30 – We talk about Kira’s favorite childhood game(s), and what it was about them that they enjoyed.

15:30 – 20:15 – We talk about what makes games enjoyable now

20:15 – 26:30 – We talk about horror games and how they view the genre as a whole currently.

26:30 – 30:00 – We talk about current favorite and enjoyed games

30:00 – 31:45 – We continue the discussion about tactics games

31:45 – 34:00 – We talk about popular games that just didn’t really click for them

34:00 – 36:15 – We talk about other games that Kira will typically be able to enjoy no matter how many times they’ve played it

36:15 – 45:00 – We talk about a game they feel might not have been given as much credit as it deserves as well as Metroid/Igavania games, branching into difficult games.

45:00 – 47:45 – We talk about gaming trends they have been enjoying

47:45 – 50:00 – We talk Resident Evil

50:00 – 58:30 – I turn the floor over to Kira and we wrap things up

58:30 – End – Closing

Find out more about what Kira does at https://www.kira-llc.com

Check out their Twitter to keep up to date on what they do https://twitter.com/Stylish_Kira

Episode 13 – Conversation with Unspottable developer Gwe Limpalaer @gwendle of GrosChevaux

Posted on | by Link S

Direct episode link: https://bit.ly/3xB776g

In this episode I speak with Gwe Limpalaer, a developer at GrosChevaux that has made the game Unspottable. A game of hide and seek where you have to find other players among the robots before they find you.

00:00 – 1:30 – Introductions

01:30 – 5:40 – Discussion of work life balance as, currently, all members of GrosChevaux have day jobs and make games on the side.

5:40 – 9:10 – We discuss the potential future of Unspottable and what quantifies as “complete” when you still have aspirations of supporting the game.

9:10 – 11:45 – We discuss where the idea for Unspottable came from

11:45 – 13:50 – Gwe talks about how they had initially found a game with what they felt was a similar idea and we discuss how the game industry is much nicer to each other than some might give it credit for

13:50 – 18:40 – We talk about how Gwe got into making games, and how they formed GrosChevaux and started making games. As well as advice he can give based on his experiences.

18:40 – 22:00 – We talk about Gwe’s favorite game(s) as a child and what it was about them that he enjoyed.

22:00 – 25:30 – I ask about multiplayer games that he may want to talk about and make sure people know exist and then we discuss our views on what makes a multiplayer game enjoyable.

25:30 – 30:15 – We discuss Unspottable.

30:15 – 35:45 – We discuss what makes gaming enjoyable to Gwe right now and managing with the current world we live in.

35:45 – 40:50 – Gwe mentions the difficulties about being a small dev and I accidentally go off on a small rant about the toxicity against developers, especially smaller ones. We also discuss the pressures of the community wanting more and how it is something that can be alright as long as it is presented positively.

40:50 – 43:15 – I turn the floor over to Gwe and follow up with comfort games.

43:15 – End – Closing


Check out Unspottable on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnspottableGame
Check out their Discord Community: https://t.co/D9odSIV9nz?amp=1
Website: http://unspottable-game.com/
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1243960/Unspottable/

Learn more about Gwe by checking him out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gwendle

Episode 12 – Conversation with Special Effect Events Coordinator Becky Frost @beckyfr0st

Posted on | by Link S

Direct Anchor link: https://anchor.fm/theredtunicpodcast/episodes/Episode-12—Conversation-with-Special-Effect-Events-Coordinator-Becky-Frost-beckyfr0st-e122h7e

In this episode I speak with Becky Frost, Events Coordinator Special Effect. A charity organization based out of the UK that specializes helping those with physical disabilities play video games.

00:00 – 2:15 – Introductions

02:15 – 9:00 – What all Special Effect does and how Becky got working for them

9:00 – 13:45 – We discuss the kind of impact Becky has seen from the organization

13:45 – 20:00 – We discusse the hardware/software changes and the good it can all do from her perspective being in the industry.

20:00 – 25:45 – I ask a question about her opinion on accessibility. I also asked this question in a way that almost seems aggressive, and that is entirely on me

25:45 – 28:00 – We talk about what Becky got into gaming, what she enjoys about video games and how she enjoys them now.

28:00 – 33:15 – We talk about what her favorite games were as a child, and why she really enjoyed them.

33:15 – 37:00 – We talk about games that Becky feels might not hold up to today’s standards, and discussing text based adventure games and their resurgence.

37:00 – 41:00 – We talk about what her current favorite games that she is currently enjoying

41:00 – 45:30 – We talk about what kind of trends in gaming she has enjoyed seeing over the last few years

45:30 – 50:15 – I turn the floor over to Becky and let her talk about how you can help the organization

50:15 – End – Closing

An article regarding the Tekken player that we had discussed during the podcast

Learn more about Becky by checking out her twitter at https://twitter.com/beckyfr0st

Learn more about Special Effect by checking out their twitter at https://twitter.com/SpecialEffect, their Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/specialeffectteam/, their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEffectCharity/, and their website which has all sorts of great information www.specialeffect.org.uk

Episode 11 – Conversation with Double Loop Games co-founder Shelby Moledina @ShelbyMoledina

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Shelby Moledina, co-founder and game director at Double Loop Games. A new mobile studio aiming to release their first game sometime this year.

00:00 – 2:00: Introductions

2:00 – 8:45 : We discuss their studios desire to make a game for people not self-identifying as gamers, and how trying to make a more friendly environment to better include them. We continue this discussion and talk about how you tailor this

8:45 – 24:45 : We discuss how Shelby got into developing video games and her history in the industry, skills, and experiences.

24:45 – 33:55 : Shelby shares her advice based on her experience for getting into the industry. She made a really interesting point about doing what you enjoy doing even if it is not entirely related to the process as you never know what skills will contribute to the process.

33:55 – 44:00 : We discuss Shelby’s favourite game as a child and what it is about that game she enjoyed. We then transition to getting to her current all time favourite game, Stardew Valley, and talking about what it is about that game, and Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons, that she finds enjoyable.

44:00 – 48:00 : Shelby brings up the a good point about how game design decisions, while may appear like they were made quickly or without thought, often have a lot of process behind them and are intentional and that it shouldn’t be attributed to a developer being lazy or incapable.

48:00 – 51:00 : We talk about how Shelby enjoys gaming now and what makes it enjoyable to her while also balancing a busy schedule, and just life in general.

51:00 – 55:00 : I ask Shelby if she’s the mom showing her kids how to install and run games, potentially inappropriate games in the same ways many fathers have in the past. She touches on how she introduces her kids to gaming as well as how to appropriately handle that.

55:00 – : Closing

Learn more about Double Loop Games at their website https://www.doubleloopgames.com/

Check out Shelby on Twitter at https://twitter.com/shelbymoledina

Episode 10 – Conversation with Gloomwood developer Dillon Rogers @TafferKing451

Posted on | by Link S

In this episode I speak with Dillon Rogers, one of the developers for the upcoming game Gloomwood. A first person immersive sim with a focus on stealth where you are trying to escape a cursed Victorian City.

(0:25 – 2:20) Introductions

(2:20 – 4:25) We discuss why he decided to make an immersive sim, and what made him want to create a game that has heavy influences from 90’s first person games.

(4:25 – 9:30 ) We continue the conversation leading to my thoughts and views on having a better appreciation for games like Gloomwood in my older age (That I hope others can relate to), leading into how the game has evolved into a deeper immersive sim.

(9:30 – 12:15 ) We talk about how Dillon got involved with New Blood via Dusk Developer David Szymnanski.

(12:15 – 13:30 ) We briefly talk about STALKER

(13:30 – 20:15 ) We talk the potential future of immersive sims and whether the current climate is really ready for an indie resurgence of them

(20:15 – 30:45 ) We talk about Dillon’s earlier favorite games and what first person shooter really helped him discover his love of the genre. As well as discussing older first person shooters in general.

(30:45 – 40:30 ) We talk about what makes gaming enjoyable to Dillon, and how he enjoys gaming now, and how modding and modded games play a primary role in that.

(40:30 – 46:35 ) We talk about advice he might give to those looking to get into the industry based on his experience.

(46:35 – 1:02:50 ) We wrap it up and I give Dillon the floor to talk about whatever he has on his mind and wants to share.

(1:02:50 – X:XX:XX) Closing

Check out Gloomwood on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150760/Gloomwood/

Check out more great titles from New Blood Interactive’s publisher page at https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/NewBlood

Check out Dillon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TafferKing451

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