Nice Games Club

Your nice hosts recorded separately again this week, as Mark has been isolating at home. Stephen rants about examines fall damage mechanics in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and other games. Is fall damage overrated? Well, Stephen has OPINIONS. Mark talks about all of the things he's been doing to occupy his mind while he's been stuck in his apartment by himself—including some deep thinking about Tears of the Kingdom. Ellen rides her bike.Slayers X is OUT NOW! - SteamGumshoe Gooper plushie - MakeshipWhat Is Paxlovid Rebound, and How Common Is It? - Fionna M. D. Samuels, Scientific AmericanGenerational cusper - Wikipedia We've talked about the show Taskmaster many times before on the podcast... "Godot! God-ot? Godot." ...many times... "The drama of the reveal." Lessons from Tears of the Kingdom 0:26:40 Mark

This week, Ellen and Stephen learn guest Zack Gilbertson's whole deal. Afterwards, Zack walks your nice hosts though an overview of what it's like for an indie developer to work with Unreal Engine, a popular-but-slightly-less-popular-than-Unity game engine. Unreal Engine Game DesignProductionProgrammingToolsUnreal Engine - Epic GamesLighting in Unreal Engine 5 for Beginners - William Faucher, YouTubeIntroduction to Blueprints - Unreal Engine Documentation, Epic Games Alina Matson joined us in a previous episode to talk about Visual CodingEpic Games Store now lets developers publish their own games - Justin Carter, Game DeveloperFree Epic Games Content (for Unreal Engine) - Epic GamesZack GilbertsonGuest External link SquidlandPersonal website

Max Kunze, Nice Games Club Guest Booker, takes over for Mark while he's still sick this week on another Nice Games Jam! Mark actually created the prompt for this episode, and your nice hosts find a way to inject many explosions into this board game made from it that you can try out yourself using the rules below!The playtest session we alluded to in the episode is on Patreon! If you want to hear how we playtested it over Miro, check it out there! Prompt Create a game where risk is extremely attractive and the consequences of failure are disastrous. Game type Card game Player count 2 - 4 Materials 25 cubes42 cards1 Chaos Cube (six-sided die) Setup Set the 25 cubes in the center of the table so everyone can reach it. This is the stockpile.Deal out 3 cards to each player, hidden from the other players.First player is the pers

On this episode, we talk with two of Ellen's coworkers and the Games Agency, Jamaal Sawyer-Dymski & Greg Borreson. They talk about their career paths, from their time as young nerds, to working in very different areas of computer sciences and programming, to the fact that saying "Enhance" doesn't actually help with anything CSI style, to working with your nice host, Ellen.Ellen has some audio problems (they get better), Stephen gets called out, and Mark calls it in from home (because Dale exposed him to Covid). Spoilers:Dale and Mark are recovering (slowly) from Covid. It turns out that the secret to getting into game development is showing up to a music festival and harassing your roommate's boyfriend. Who knew? Wandering into Game Development IRLImpact JSApache CordovaJamaal Sawyer-DymskiGuest Jamaal was a professional musician (saxophone), before transitioning into game development, thr

In this episode, Stephen points out the number three! It’s everywhere! Also, what is it about animation that captures our minds and imaginations so effectively? Your hosts explore the topic and share some ideas. Ellen gets hung up on math, and Mark tries to keep everyone calm. Good Question: How Do Street Sweepers Work? - WCCO - CBS Minnesota, YouTube A street sweeper in Bloomington, Minnesota. Image from https://www.bloomingtonmn.gov/ Stephen's "Rule of Threes" 0:17:30 Stephen McGregorGame Design The Psychology of Animation 0:48:16 Ellen Burns-JohnsonArtGame DesignUI / UXVisual attention and motion design - Mark Hazlewood, Inside Design from InVision5 examples of web animation done right - Joe Jordan, Inside Design from InVisionAnimation for

This week, your nice hosts clop along sprawling acres of horse games and horses in games. They are led to water by the foremost expert on the topic, Alice Ruppert, creative director of the recent Horse Tales - Emerald Valley Ranch and writer of the horse-gaming blog The Mane Quest. The Taxonomy of Horse Games Game DesignGamingProductionThe Mane QuestHorse Tales - Emerald Valley RanchAlice RuppertGuest Alice is a game designer, producer, and writer based in Zurich, Switzerland. External link Personal websiteThe Mane Quest

Your nice hosts explore the finality and the lusory this week with these two topics. In the process, Stephen struggles with a simple concept, Mark gets to 82% completion and Ellen figures out a way to blow up a transition.Glom is available for preorder! Find links here. Endings 0:13:40 Mark LaCroixGame DesignNarrative Lusory Attitude 0:38:51 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGamingIRLLusory Attitude - WikipediaLusory Definition - Merriam-Webster We bring up our Curling episode during this topic. "No referees?!"

According to Minnesota Public Radio, it's hot girl sinkhole spring. In other words, we have an insane number of potholes right now in the Twin Cities, and since we can't do anything other than wait for the hardworking folks of road repair to fix them, we made a game about the whole situation. Andy and Beth Korth join for this special Nice Games Jam!GLOM preorder through Miniature MarketGLOM preorder through GameNerdz✨hot girl sinkhole spring✨ - Minnesota Public RadioUptown washout leaves 8-foot-deep sinkhole in Minneapolis intersection - Tim Nelson and Kerem Yücel, Minnesota Public Radio The Korths are back! They were first on episode #002 Steam Greenlight Episode #102 with Beth & Andy Code Comment: "Verdant Skies" Episode #204 with Beth & Andy Families in Games Episode #132 with Beth Narrative Design An e

Dale learned a lot while editing this episode.She learned the board game ‘Spirit Island’ is about spirits that protect an island, and she is pretty sure that this is the same premise as hit TV show ‘LOST’.She learns that CSS is not a programming language or a mark-up languageAnd she learns that CSS stands for Cascading Style SheetsShe learns that AAA games are easy (not sure why she struggles with them)That there are either wrong choices in skill trees OR it never really matteredAnd that Stephen wants to fight everyone on DiscordGood luck anyone who isn’t a McGregor!Stephen is playing Spirit Island - Board Game GeekRa Ra Boom Trailer (from Max who schedules our interviewsTwin Cities Playtest is the 3rd Wednesday of the Month - EventbriteTwin Cities Playtest is also on YouTube - IGDA Twin Cities, YouTube CSS 9:47 Mark LaCroixProgrammingIn this discussion Ellen mentioned accessibility standards for

Ellen and Stephen get spooked discussing small and/or novel horror games and experiences with Online Simulator developer Rosalie Vile. Ellen works backwards from the punchline, Stephen doesn't know about 80%, and Mark is still in California (thanks, calendar math). Tiny Horrors Game DesignNarrativeOnline Simulator - Rosalie Vile, itch.ioSunday - EZBake Games, itch.ioSkinamarinkA Normal Lost Phone - Dear VillagersThis House Has People in It  - Adult Swim, YouTubeHaunted PS1 Demo Disc 2021 - The Haunted PS1, itch.ioRosalie VileGuest External link Rosalie Vile's Itch page

We hear from "California Business Mark" who spent the week on-location at GDC 2023. Mark summarizes some of the best talks and events he attended at the conference, featuring Kirby, the Playdate console, secrets in Tunic, Max, and more! Support Final Strike  - Lane Davis, GamefoundCurrent COVID guidelines from the CDC - Centers for Disease ControlSuper Nintendo World - Universal Studios(News) GDC 2023 Timecode 8:54.00 GDC 2023 Here are the time codes for individual topics:10:23 Publishing agreements talk19:32 Porting talk20:58 Playdate developer lunch28:24 Dinner with Max!29:27 Games Industry Gathering (GiG)30:50 The Many Dimensions of Kirby47:40 Immortality talk48:25 IGDA general meeting51:50 Secrets in Tunic58:45 Experimental Gameplay Games Workshop

Your nice hosts welcome Andrew Kenady, also know as Nintendrew on YouTube, to the show this week! He brings a postmortem about his recently released action platformer C.A.R.L. Postmortem: "C.A.R.L." Game DesignMarketingProductionC.A.R.L. - Andrew Kenady and Morningstar Game StudioC.A.R.L. on Steam - Andrew Kenady and Morningstar Game Studio, SteamNintendrew - YouTubeMorningstar Game StudioMatt Bitner - Barry Carenza, Premium Edition GamesThe Controversy of Super Paper Mario - Nintendrew, YouTubeNovy UnlimitedEverything is a Remix[SPOILERS] Undertale reference in new indie game, Pony Island - PxlSqrl, RedditAndrew KenadyGuest Andrew Kenady is also known as Nintendrew on YouTube, where he talks about his current and retro game collections. He is also a creator of a platformer C.A.R.L. External link C.A.R.L.Nintendrew YouTube Pag

In this episode, Mark makes up a reason to take a road trip, Ellen outwits everyone, and Stephen was also there.Zachtronics Solitaire CollectionLACMAA Better Route Planner Secrets & Easter Eggs 0:24:43 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignThe Super Mario 64 Coin that Took 18 Years To Collect - Patricia Hernandez, KotakuPC Cheat Codes - IGNReddit on video game Secrets - RedditSecrets That Weren't Discovered in Games For Years - Jordan Baranowski, SVG Player Trust 0:48:39 Stephen McGregorGame Design We touched on this idea back in our roundtable on 'The Ethics of Engagement' "Shiny rocks get me every time."

Ellen's nephews have charged her with the task of making a board game about pizza. Making a clone of Hasbro's Candy Land is more difficult than it sounds, especially since these young stakeholders have requested some "creative deviations" from the design of the original board game. Stephen and Mark step in to help out. Can your nice hosts realize the wild, cheesy dream that is Pizza Land?Candy Land, a classic board game for kids - HasbroThat meme from The Office - GiphyGharial, a weird-looking endangered crocodilian - Animalogic, YouTube Nice Thinking Notes Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame Design Children's drawings The art is here on Google Drive for you all to enjoy. Whale, may or may not be pizza-relatedT-rex sort of on fire, facing usBrontosaurus amoebaCat and soulless dog [Pizza] donutPizza Knight with an axe, maybeIce cream leaking out of the conePizza t-

This week, your nice hosts talk about last week and next week. Mark wants you to frame things, Stephen wants a definition, and Ellen wants you to start a fight with her on Discord.Ellen's team made a gross game for Global Game Jam 2023!Star Trek: Picard, Final Season Premiere (full free episode) - Paramount+, YouTube Visual Composition 0:17:12 Mark LaCroixArtGame DesignUI / UXComposition for Noobs -  Flow Studio, YouTubeComposition in Level Design - Mateusz Piaskiewicz, Game DeveloperDesign Principles: Compositional, Symmetrical And Asymmetrical Balance - Steven Bradley, Smashing Magazine Minigames 0:39:45 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGamingMario Party Games That Are Just Part-Time Jobs - Abigail Kwak, The Gamer

Your nice hosts invite Zachtronics founder Zach Barth to discuss the closing of the studio and the logistics of moving on from that. In this episode, you'll also hear about ruminations on what success means as a game dev, a theory about how great walking is and exclusive news about Zach's future plans. The Logistics of Moving On IRLProductionZachtronics websiteLast Call BBSWhy Zachtronics is shutting down for good this time - Alex Calvin, gameindustry.bizLegal Systems Very Different From Ours - David Friedman, Peter Leeson, David SkarbekWhy Walking Helps Us Think - Ferris Jabr, The New YorkerCoincidenceZach BarthGuest Zach Barth was the founder of Zachtronics and is currently working on unannounced projects. External link Zachtronics on Twitter

The year 2022 in review! Yes, it's now halfway through February, but being a few weeks late is part of the annual "Nicest Of" tradition. Your hosts (plus guest Holly Harrison) revisit their notable games and goals from 2022, and make some plans for 2023.Holly is here in the clubhouse for this recording!Things that happened in 2022: We sold GLOM! It's coming out in 2023.Mark announced a game (Dreamsettler) and released Noble Engine for the PlaydateStephen became a co-owner of Future ClubEllen got a new job as a game designer with The Game AgencyHolly moved into a new place—one without unwanted insects and thieving neighbors Nicest of 2022 0:04:56 Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonHolly HarrisonGamingEllen's Nicest:Metroid: DreadFlappy DragonBanner Saga 1Endling: Extinction is ForeverMark's Nicest:Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of HopeStrayLast Call BBSStephen's Nicest:Kirby and the Forgotten

Your hosts recall what they did over their winter break this year (aka hiatus). Ellen played video games and games with her dogs, Stephen watched and reviewed some movies (please tell him what to watch next!), and Mark mostly watched Doctor Who.Big news for the show: We now have ad-free episodes on Patreon! What We Did On Our Winter Break (2022) Mark LaCroixStephen McGregorEllen Burns-JohnsonIRLMetaEllen played video gamesBanner SagaDeath Drives a BusAgent AStanley Parable Ultra Deluxe EditionYou Suck at ParkingStephen watched movies(Scoring is out of four stars.)Dual (⭐⭐⭐)Sharp Stick (⭐⭐⭐)All My Friends Hate Me (⭐⭐⭐)7 Days (⭐⭐)The Drop (⭐⭐)Darby and the Dead (⭐⭐⭐)Sex Appeal (⭐⭐⭐)We Broke Up (⭐⭐⭐⭐)Mark, Mary and Some Other People (⭐⭐)Single all the Way (⭐⭐⭐)Sex Guaranteed (⭐) - “Did not like it”Mark re-watched Doctor WhoThe Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter - Russell T Davies & Benjamin Cook

#278 "Insert interesting car here."Roundtable 2022.09.14 Your nice hosts' pronunciation is on point this week as they say a really hard word a large number of times! In this episode, Mark and Ellen BOTH introduce even more complicated words to the other hosts, and Stephen admits to losing an argument (which he'd done on the show before but still don't tell his brother).Noble Robot Office Verisimilitude 0:05:23 Ellen Burns-JohnsonArtGame DesignVerisimilitude Definition - Dictionary.comVeracity Definition - Dictionary.comThe Quest For Verisimilitude: Realism, Illusion, and Consistency In Video Games - Erik Kain, ForbesHow to build verisimilitude in your games? - Thunderdices, Reddit One comment of note in the thread: “Your point about makin

#271 Neurodiversity in Gamedev (with Adam Clewes-Boyne)Nice Thinking 2022.07.28 This week, we invite our first guest for Nice Thinking! Adam Clewes-Boyne is putting together an initiative for neurodiversity advocacy and education in the games industry, specifically focused on ADHD. It started as a meetup at a conference, and Adam wants to see where it can go next. Neurodiversity in Gamedev EventsIRL Adam joined us, after a fashion, in a previous episode: Game Dev London does Nice Games JamCoffee with Butterscotch podcast - Butterscotch ShenanigansHow the Gender Gap Leaves Girls and Women Undertreated for ADHD - CHADDStrategic Planning for Nonprofits - National Council of NonprofitsAdam Clewes-BoyneGuest A