Indie By Design Podcast

A speedrunner, first-person shooter crossed with a parkour platformer, Neon White is upon us and it's glorious. Join Stace and John as they detail and dissect their experience the game in a bid to understand what's going in Ben Esposito's latest video game offering and how he's hit Neon White's sweet spot.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After 200 hours in Elden Ring, our very own Stace Harman has some thoughts and we're ready to 'review' it.We cover the ups and the downs, the memorable bosses, the sense of engagement, worldbuilding, narrative design and more.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When playing a video game, how are you embodying the character onscreen? Are you playing as yourself and making decisions based on how you think you'd act in a given situation, or are you acting as the character as it's written for you?Maybe the answer is that it's a combination of both, or maybe it's something else entirely. Join John and Stace as they discuss this and figure out how they themselves play games and how that impacts their interpretations.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week Stace and John are remaking Legacy of Kain: Soul Revear, 1999's PlayStation classic and a game that had so much to offer through its narrative, gameplay and aesthetic. Join us for in rediscovering Soul Reaver by designing how it could look and play today.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Returnal can be a difficult game to play, understand and unlock the Platinum Trophy for. Having achieved the latter, how is the context, interpretation and playing of the game altered?Join John Robertson and Stace Harman as chat returning to Returnal for the Ascension update and unlocking the game's famously difficult Platinum Trophy.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it's one of the most beloved, most respected and most reverred games of all time. For many it's comfortably the finest Star Wars game ever released.And yet, despite having worked in the games industry for over three decades collectively, it's a game that Stace and John had never played. It's the time for that to change.Join them as they discuss their early experience of the game, how it relates to their expectations and other RPGs and how they've gone about indulging in such a classic of gaming history.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John and Stace are talking about Doki Doki Literature Club this week on Gaming: The Podcast. A seemingly 'normal' visual novel, Doki Doki has some surprises and ideas up its sleeve that make it something altogether more subversive and challenging than it initially communicates. Join us as we discuss the power of its storytelling and its stunning ability to get under your skin in a number of different ways.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the launch of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Stace and John ask themselves: Why do we enjoy trashy, B-movie style games?There are games that are crying out to be rejected and forgotten due to their inadequicies. And yet, in some cases, such games result in a memorable and personal experience that you wish more people would find joy in. Listen to Stace and John explore and discuss exactly that and why it happens.Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is Elden Ring the easiest of From Software's Soulsborne games? This is the question that has consumed many since Elden Ring's launch and it's a topic that is much deeper than it can seem on the surface.In this episode Stace and John discuss Elden Ring's difficulty, how it is delivered and contextualised by the choices the game gives you, how the ways to 'game the systems' within Elden Ring play into the difficulty and to what extent player creativity affects the challenges you're likely to come across.Ultimately, the real question is: Does Elden Ring's difficulty, easier or not, make for a better game?Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter @IndieByDesign and via our Discord, which you can find via our Twitter.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net and @IndieByDes

John and Stace discuss their experiences of Elden Ring's first 50 levels and how the game presents itself in such a way as to offer challenge, spectacle and the opportunity to experiment in a way that feels both grand and intimate.Discussion covers class builds, exploration, how information is presented to players, boss fights and the general difficulty curve.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net and @IndieByDesign. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elden Ring is a game of choices. Your class, your weapons, your tactics, your story - every choice you make is met with a response that alters and defines your journey through the game.Stace and John discuss these choices and their outcomes and examine how they combine to create meaning for both you as an individual and for any discussion around the game.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Coming into Horizon Forbidden West, Stace was a huge fan of the Horizon franchice and John was not. Both have now played Forbidden West and, predictably, have quite a lot to say about it. Does Horizon Forbidden West offer a superior experience if you are already a fan of the series? Can it win over those people who didn't enjoy the first game?Once you've listened to our thoughts, come and get involved on Twitter @IndieByDesign and tell me us what you think.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lost Ark and Sifu take top billing this week, meaning we've got your MMORPG and your roguelite bases covered. Stace and John discuss Lost Ark's launch, its scope and the pros and cons of its free-to-play funding model, before moving on to Sifu and figuring where it sits within an increasingly crowded and diverse roguelite genre.Have you mastered Sifu? Have you reached level 50 in Lost Ark? Come tell us about chat with us on Twitter @IndieByDesignGaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does a game need persistent player upgrades in order to be fun and relevant? This is at the heart of the question around whether or not you prefer roguelikes or roguelites.Roguelikes include persistent upgrades, roguelikes do not.Join Stace and John as they discuss the relevant merits of each genre, which they personally prefer and whether or not the distinction between -like and -lites still makes sense given the gaming landscape today.Games discussed in this episode include:SpelunkySpelunky 2HadesThe Binding of IsaacReturnalDead EstateInscryptionFTL: Faster Than LightNuclear ThroneRogue LegacyGaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Repetition in video games, it seems to be a love hate kinda thing. Either you're smitted for the grind and the slow, steady progress or you hate the very thought or retreading the same ground over and over.On this episode of Gaming: The Podcast, John and Stace discuss how repetition in games is, however, about much more than grinding and forced replication of action - it's ultimately about enabling creativity, reward, mastery and much more.Repetition gets a bad rap, so let's talk about it.Let us know your thoughts on the highs and lows of repetition in video games via our Twitter and Discord channels.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John and Stace discussing the opening hour(ish) of Demon's Souls: How does it work? Why does it work? What does it establish? How does it teach you?We recommend that you familiarise / refamiliarise with the opening of Demon's Souls before listening to this episode. Let us know your take on the opening hour of Demon's Souls via Twitter and Discord.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John and Stace are back for 2022 with their resolutions for a new year in gaming, all which are likely to have been broken by March. Their picks range from attaining achievements in specific games to giving more attention to certain forms of games and from encorporating new forms of play to becoming more involved in game creation itself.Listen in and then get involved in the conversation with your own 2022 new year resolutions for gaming via our Twitter and Discord.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netMusic by Ben Prunty. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

John and Stace reveal their favourite games of the year. Will it be Deathloop or Loop Hero? Resident Evil Village or Psychonauts 2? Valheim or Death's Door?Full list of game of the year 2021 candidates:Psychonauts 2DeathloopResident Evil VillageGTFODeath's DoorValheimReturnalHitman 3Halo InfiniteLoop HeroGaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on Gaming: The Podcast John and Stace answer five questions that are often asked of them on social media:What is your favourite series?Which is the series that you've played the most?Which series would you love to see make a return?Which is the series you'd like to play but haven't?What is your favourite game?Hopefully by the end of the episode you'll have a better idea of what we like and have liked and where your own tastes sit alongside, or in opposition to, our own.We'd love you to play along with us and let us know your own answers, so hit us up on Twitter and get involved in the discussion. We are @IndieByDesign on Twitter and all social media networks.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netMusic by Ben Prunty. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informat

This week on Gaming: The Podcast John and Stace are joined by designed Richard Cowan and Double Fine's James 'Spaff' Spafford to discuss the making of 20 Double Fine Years, our book celebrating the history, games, people and creativity of Double Fine Productions.We talk about the origins and reasons behind the book's existence, how we went about collating and cataloging art assets, what the goals were and what we wanted readers and Double Fine fans to take away from it.Huge thank you to Spaff and Richard for making time to record with us.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is brought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.net See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.