Nice Games Club

#244 "Maximum Whooo!"Roundtable 2021.11.25 As the podcast approaches its fifth anniversary, your hosts get a little (more) frivolous. Mark shares some industry news about hardware releases. Ellen prompts everyone to share their experiences of learning development tools and examine their process of learning through the lens of Maximum Whooo. Stephen explores the difference between cooperative and collaborative gameplay, and invents something called a Feedborm. Dang!Steamworks Virtual Conference: Steam Deck - SteamSteam Deck launch delayed by two months - Jay Peters, The VergeIndie handheld Playdate delayed to 2022 - Michael McWhertor, PolygonHow Long to Beat: Metroid Dread - HowLongToBeat Learning to Use Tools 14:05 Ellen Burns-JohnsonMisc.ToolsArticulate Storyline 360, an e-learning deve

#273 The State of VR in 2022Interview 2022.08.11 Your nice hosts talk to Andrew Eiche, COO at Owlchemy Labs (Job Simulator, Vacation Simulator, Cosmonious High) about the state of VR in 2022, and where VR and VR development tools may be going in the coming years.Andrew talks about how industrial design should influence VR design, why you shouldn't take inspiration from movies, and how ergonomics are important. Also, Ellen takes a hard stand on the right way to use a dial. VR in 2022 and its Future VR / AR / XROwlchemy LabsThe Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman, bookHeadsetsPico VR HeadsetPlaystation VR2VR EnginesVRTK (Virtual Reality Tool Kit)TButt - Turbo ButtonCosmonious HighCosmonius High on Tik Tok - Tik TokCosmonius High on TwitterCosmonius High on SteamAndrew EicheGuest Andrew

#281 StorySlide (with Osama Dorias)Nice Games Jam 2022.10.06 Game designer Osama Dorias returns to the clubhouse to help design a game that can be played remotely, and provides some (much needed?) structure to the Nice Games Jam process. Stephen is obsessed with Bananas, Ellen contemplates her mystery banana gift, and Mark realizes some of these concepts might be too complicated for small children. Osama previously joined us for episode 211: Building Blocks of Design This isn't the first time we'd had a guest join us for a Nice Games Jam: Blame the Cat! (with Monica Fan)Osama on TwitterOsama's podcast is "The Habibis"Playtest MaterialsThe slides we created for this episode's playtest.The Noun Project Prompt "Desi

#252 Visual CodingInterview 2022.03.17 This week we're joined by Alina Matson, developer of Fitment—a microworkout app designed with cozy gamers in mind. Alina talks about how she has used the popular Unity plugin Playmaker to kick-start her transition from a career in mechanical engineering to gamedev. Positive vibes abound. Plus, surprise singing! Visual Coding ProgrammingToolsPlaymaker - Hutong Games, Unity Asset StoreBolt - Unity, Unity Asset StoreBlueprint Visual Scripting - Unreal EngineProcessingScratch - MIT10 Most Nostalgic Flash Games From The Early 2000s - Samuel Williams, CBRStephen J. Guy, Director, Applied Motion Lab - University of MinnesotaZebraZapps We mentioned a previous interview episode with Freya Holmer, Self-education, et a

#247 Designing like a Dungeon MasterInterview 2021.12.10 Your nice hosts (Ellen, mainly) conduct a double-interview, with a consummate professional and a committed amateur, on the subject of game design though the lens of tabletop game mastering. Subjects include the dynamic between system design and session design, the balance between planning and improvisation, and how players can be encouraged to participate in the process. Designing like a Dungeon Master Game DesignNarrativeTabletopAlternity - Sasquatch Game StudioMDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research - Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek, Northwestern UniversityDread, a game of horror and suspense - The Impossible DreamThousand Year Old Vampire - Tim HutchingsRobin's Laws of Good Game Mastering - Robin D. LawsUnpossible Game LabsCon o

#268 "No referees?!"Roundtable 2022.07.07 How much of the culture around a game is rooted in its design? That's one of the questions that comes up as Mark takes us on a tour of curling—an Olympic sport that's described as "chess on ice." We examine its origins, the Spirit of Curling, and some specific rules that may have a big impact on how players behave towards one another. Later, Stephen considers some questions about off-ramps, the parts of a game that guide players as they end a play session. Should we as designers encourage players to take breaks? Gato Roboto by doinksoft (from Devolver Digital) - Steam Curling 0:10:15 Mark LaCroixGame DesignAbout Curling - World Curling FederationWhy is this Olympic Sport called Chess on Ice? - by user "Pete", Chess.comCurling might be an antidote

Sarah Yu and Beth, developers of Bugaboo Pocket, join us once again in the clubhouse after our chance meeting at GDC! Listen in as we gush about bugs a lot, but also discuss how to present personality traits of your pets in pet management games. There's also a bunch of cool videos of bugs in this episode's show notes! Sarah and Beth were also interviewed by us during GDC in 2022. GDC 2022 Special (Part 2) Characterization in Pet Management Games ArtGame DesignGamingChao World - Chao IslandDo Dogs Smile? What’s Really Behind That Adorable Smile? - Joelle Audette, Canine CampusBugaboo Pocket Beta - Bugaboo PocketBugs MentionedWhat is an isopod? - NOAA Ocean Exploration Video of Praying Mantis

The clubhouse comes together this week to realize the danger and fear surrounding Save Data. Mark talks about the advantages of Json and xml, then immediately tells why he choose neither of them for his project. Stephen summarizes why meetings are great and why everyone is sometimes a tech artist (Make it more... Dynamic?), and the team discusses how to best communicate between people who have different skills sets.Stephen's Brother Streaming his work - @DarkaysTG, YouTubeMark's Music Choice: The Beths "Expert in a Dying Field" - The Beths, YouTubeNice Games Club on MastadonGet your partner their own NGC shirt here Save Data 0:08:46 Mark LaCroixProgramming Interdisciplinary Communication 48:44 Stephen McGregorProduction

It's the show's sixth anniversary! To celebrate, Stephen, Mark, and Ellen play two "talky talky" games on the air:  Where Should We Begin: A Game of Stories by Esther Perel, and Hypertheticals by Chuck Klosterman. These games offer your hosts some interesting discussion prompts, with interesting results. Episode 280, a recent one in which we talked about journaling. "Two bits of goop.""Baldric" in literature and culture - Wikipedia Where Should We Begin? A Game of Stories 0:08:49 Ellen Burns-JohnsonPhysical GamesWhere Should We Begin? A Game of Stories - Esther PerelThe Mousetrap - Agatha Christie, WikipediaThree ways to improvise an arm sling - John Godino, Alpine Savvy Hypertheticals 0:49:47 Ellen Burns-JohnsonPhysical GamesHyperthetic

This week, fellow nice gamedev Millie Walker enters the clubhouse to discuss her approach to combining genres. It's an episode full of synthesis, but not photosynthesis because Stephen doesn't want to talk about his bonsai tree. Fusing Genres Game DesignMarketingMyth Caller: The Nightmare Shaman - KaratkuroXander the Monster Morpher: Universe Breaker - Karatkuro, Steam We previously tackled "genre" in: "I do business." Millie WalkerGuest External link TwitterYouTubeDiscord

Lots of technical talk in this episode as your nice hosts wade into these two large topics! Flappy Dragon - Google Play Store Cameras 0:09:27 Stephen McGregorGame DesignProgrammingLinear Interpolation - WikipediaSuper Mario World Camera Logic Review - Shaun Inman, YouTubeCamera Movements for 2D Platformers: How Do I Know Which One to Choose - Sam Hu, Sam J H HuPro Camera 2D - Luís Pedro Fonseca, Unity Asset Store Bug Tracking and Triage 0:31:52 Ellen Burns-JohnsonProductionProgrammingParkinson's Law - WikipediaResponsible Bug Reporting and Triage - SmartbearAuction-based serious game for bug tracking - """Çağdaş Üsfekes,Eray Tüzün,Murat Yılmaz,Yagup Macit,Paul Clarke""", The Institution of Engineering and TechnologyBug Triaging Principles - BugsnagGame Development Essentials: Bugt

It’s everyone’s favorite rhythm fighting game that doesn’t exist yet, ‘Rhythm Rumble’, back for more discussion in this week's NiceThinking Episode. Ellen learns a new word, Mark rants about Unity’s PlayerPrefs, and Stephen admits that he still hasn’t learned to take good notes. They all agree that you have to spend more time researching than you want to, and that Dale is awesome.PlayerPrefs in UnityUnity Manual on Player PrefsBodge (definition) - Dictionary.comEllen has been playing games!Agent InterceptBanner SagaFlappy Dragon on mobileFlappy BirdJetpack JoyrideMark has been playing a gameMario and Rabbids Rhythm Rumble Stephen McGregorGame Design Stephen leaving an old employeer for a new job also leaves him room for improvement on a rhythm fighting game. The main problems with the old prototype: not rhythmic enough and too simple. The beats the pla

It's spooky season! Stephen is SO over it, but he can't escape all the scary stuff happening in this week's episode. We start with a lesson on the necromantic arts of branding and iconography, guided by Mark, a master of these dark magics. After the break, Ellen raises a past topic from the dead in order to explore the ethics of manipulating players' brainnnsssss. Also mentioned: candy corn, houseplants, and—you guessed it—Star Trek. Star Trek: Ascendancy Branding & Iconography 0:10:10 Mark LaCroixMarketingSmash TV - WikipediaThomas Was Alone - Bithell Games The Ethics of Engagement 0:36:22 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignEgg, Inc. - Auxbrain, Inc.Idle Acorns - Aleros LLCBeReal social mediaA little learning is a dangerous thingDrink deep,

This week, we talk with Super Rare Games' "Head of Words," Ryan Brown, about his company's approach to physical game distribution for indie games, and what it takes to get your game not just on a Nintendo, but on a Nintendo cartridge. Physical Releases for Indies MarketingProductionSuper Rare GamesSuper Rare Games - TwitterSuper Rare Games - Developers & Publisherspublishmygame@superraregames.com The Criterion CollectionInternational Age Rating Coalition (IARC) - WikipediaStrong Museum of PlayThe Centre for Computing HistoryRyan BrownGuest "Head of Words" at Super Rare Games, Ryan has always worked in video games, whether writing for The Mirror and various outlets as a games journalist, running all things PR at Numskull, talking about hot gaming topics on BBC Radio, or serving on the BAFTA Games 2020 nominating panel. External link Twitter

Your nice hosts start off strong with an excellently performed intro, and it just gets better from there! The Game Agency - The Game Agency Pre-production 0:06:24 Stephen McGregorProduction Idle Games 0:31:45 Mark LaCroixGame DesignGamingStar Trek Lower Decks: The Badgey Directive Review: The Final Fun-tier? - Steven Shaw, Droid GamersHow to make an idle game: Everything you need to know about incremental mobile … - David Hartery, AdjustIdle Games: The Mechanics and Monetization of Self-Playing Games - Anthony Pecorella, YouTube“It Started as a Joke”: On the Design of Idle Games - Katta Spiel, Sultan A. Alharthi, Andrew Jian-Lan Cen, Jessica Hammer, Lennart E. Nacke, Z O. Toups and Tess Tanenbaum, CHI PLAY

Game designer Osama Dorias returns to the clubhouse to help design a game that can be played remotely, and provides some (much needed?) structure to the Nice Games Jam process. Stephen is obsessed with Bananas, Ellen contemplates her mystery banana gift, and Mark realizes some of these concepts might be too complicated for small children. Osama previously joined us for episode 211: Building Blocks of Design This isn't the first time we'd had a guest join us for a Nice Games Jam: Blame the Cat! (with Monica Fan)Osama on TwitterOsama's podcast is "The Habibis"Playtest MaterialsThe slides we created for this episode's playtest.The Noun Project Prompt "Design a game that can be played remotely with (Osama's) children (and ideally is still fun for adults)" Game type Tabletop game Player count 3-6 Materials

In this slightly-longer-than-normal episode, we start with a pandemic check-in. (Bivalent boosters are available! Go get 'em!) Ellen leads us on a journaling journey, sharing the embarrassing evidence of past attempts. Stephen challenges us to think through examples of adaptation, or maybe translation, or transcreation...well, we mostly figure it out by the end. Mark is extra-sharp with the one-liners.When, why, and how to get a new Covid-19 booster shot - Keren Landman, Umair Irfan, VoxHylics  - WikipediaGato Roboto - Developer's website Keeping a Game Design Journal 0:16:16 Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame Design"Mark's Home Office" 11/11/2021 - Nice Games Club, PatreonBeanstacker: Reading tracker app - Google Play StoreContraindication (definition) - WikipediaThe Complete Guide to Video Game Genres: From Scrollers, Shooters, to Sports - GameDesigning.orgList of video game genres - WikipediaOctalysis - Y

We welcome our first pseudonymous guest to the clubhouse to discuss what it's like making a game to carry the banner (and serve the community) of a previous title. Designing a Spiritual Successor Game DesignGamingProductionSanctuary Shattered Sun: Real Time StrategySupreme Commander - WikipediaInterview With Special Bread! - Sanctuary, YouTubePac-Man Championship Edition is an electrifying reinvention of a classic and fi… - Richard Stanton, GamesRadarChris Taylor lets us know what he thinks about Sanctuary - Sanctuary, YouTubeDmitry Samartsev, aka Special BreadGuest

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 making things simple is extremely important. Lots of things in real life are simple and it’s the combination of items interacting that it becomes complicated. When a DM makes

This week, a behind-the-scenes look into the game that uses a skateboard deck as a controller! Scrapebopard combines elements of rhythm, racing, and fighting games to create a unique boss attack experience. What's it like playtesting unique hardware? How much did they learn about electronics and wiring? How difficult was it to demo the game at alt.ctrl.GDC? What's next for the game? We explore these questions and more in this interview. Postmortem: "Scrapeboard" EventsGame DesignHardwareElectric Scrapeboard - Shake That ButtonMakey MakeyAbout formalism - Dario D'Ambra, Game DeveloperGame Dev Tools for Raspberry PiBabycastlesWondervillePlaytest Thursdays - NYU Game CenterCome Out & Play Festival"A Work of Art Is Never Finished, Merely Abandoned" - Quote InvestigatorFrank DeMarcoGuestBlake AndrewsGuest