Finding Hidden Meaning with Jason Roberts

I thought we'd do something a little different this time around on Art & Craft. Rather than dive deep with with one guest, I've chosen to chat with two. Specifically, my colleagues and close friends Harry Nesbitt & Joe Grainger, who form the art and development team of our recently released game Alto's Odyssey. In many ways, this episode is more than just an interview, but rather, a post-mortem in which we get a chance to honestly reflect on the game's development, what we learned, and what comes next.

When I first dug into the role of Producer, I assumed it was my job simply to remind people when tasks were due. Over time, I've come to see production much more as the discipline of removing the barriers that prevent people from doing their best work. Join me as I chat with Nick Ahrens, Executive Producer at LA-based Hidden Variable Studios, about bringing a game across the finish line, the state of modern games coverage, and the vices and virtues of vicarious ownership.  

Zach Gage is one of the sharpest design minds creating play today. Whether it's games like Spelltower, Flip Flop Solitaire, or Really Bad Chess, the things Zach makes brilliantly explore what you can do when you digitize the kind of broad, approachable play you'd find in a Sunday newspaper. Join us as we discuss the value in letting people learn creatively, the untapped possibilities in designing around gambling, and the way that making games can change who you are.

Gorogoa is the kind of brilliant game that's almost hard to believe exists even as you're experiencing it. A densely layered puzzle journey that takes place inside a hand-illustrated fantasy world. Join us as we sit down with its creator Jason Roberts, and peel back some of those layers. Together, we discuss the seven year journey to bring Gorogoa to life, the ebb & flow of creative motivation, and the secret feelings we all harbour to find and solve the puzzles all around us.

Bekah Saltsman is the co-founder and CEO of Finji, a self-described collaborative game studio working on titles like Overland, Tunic, and Night in the Woods. Join us as we talk with her about pushing back against the "I'm Just" impulse, the realities of being a mother in the games industry, and the importance of listening to the way players describe your games. 

If delaying a podcast about games to ship one of your own isn't a tidy metaphor for development, then I don't what is. Welcome back to Art & Craft! This week, we're chatting with Danette Beatty, 3D Artist at ustwo Games in London. Together, we unpack what it's like to pick up your life and move for the work that you love, and discuss lessons learned from finding your voice on a larger team. In the process, we delve into the art & design process behind one of 2017's biggest hits: Monument Valley 2. 

"A player gives you 50% of what a game is." This is the philosophy underpinning how Benjamin Rivers approaches the things he makes. Rivers is the creator of deeply narrative-driven games like horror hit Home and sci-fi romance Alone With You. Join us as we talk with him about how making games can be like theatre, involving players in the stories you tell, and taking risks to pursue dream projects. 

You can learn so much from how someone younger responds - or in some case doesn't respond - to what they're seeing, playing, or reading. Sago Mini, makers of digital & physical toys for children, are constantly thinking about how to craft better experiences for this audience. Join us as we talk with Sago CEO Jason Krogh about play testing games with kids, extending digital play into the real world, and making things you feel good about. 

Inkle Studios is a team that crafts experiences which straddle the line between two mediums. These deep, narrative games use text as their vehicle, but still manage to take people on grand adventures through fantasy kingdoms and journeys across the world. Join us as we talk with Inkle's Art & Code Director Joseph Humfrey about the origins of the studio, the foundation of good interactive fiction, and the enduring value of careful craftsmanship. 

Happy New Year everybody, and welcome to the first Art & Craft episode of 2018! On this week's episode, we sit down with Nels Anderson, the lead designer on critically acclaimed Mark of the Ninja, and designer on the narrative hit Firewatch. Together we discuss designing with rules instead of exceptions, the excitement of setting players loose in game worlds that truly listen, and the lessons we wish we'd taught ourselves earlier.