"He's scientific methoding you." Characterization Through Mechanics; Tutorials vs. Instructions

Attention Sega nerds! This Nice Bonus episode is for you!During our episode on 90's consoles Mark found out there were so many obscure Sega accessories that they couldn't fit in the episode and deserved their very own spotlight. Please enjoy this Nice Bonus short episode all about them!Sega Consoles

We welcome August Brown back into the clubhouse once more to discuss healthy criticism in the workplace, and how to foster that environment in your spaces.Healthy CriticismProductionHotel Infinity - Studio ChyrNo Hard Feelings - Liz Fosslien & Mollie West Duffy, Portfolio

How is it April? The episodes have been so long lately it feels like it should be more than two months since the hiatus ended. As a countermeasure, the Nice Hosts have another set of roundtable topics to break up your week and retune the time dilation. Stephen tries hard not to talk about fighting games, Lydia ponders the nature of instructions, and everyone talks a lot more about Mario than they thought they would. 0:01:41Characterization Through MechanicsWe talked about characterization in Smash on a previous episode."I’m intrigued by big door."Lewis ChessmenWikipedia0:29:24Tutorials vs. InstructionsThe "tutorial" Lydia encountered at work that inspired this topic.

All of your regular hosts finally make it into the clubhouse again to present to you a roundtable! After a fairly lengthy meta (it's been a long time y'all, but all interesting stuff!), we expose elements of 3D lighting and discuss an internet meme that's maybe relevant for game development.No Kings ProtestsErin Macdonald YouTube Channel - Erin Macdonald, YouTubeGURPS Prime Directive Core Rulebook - Steve Jackson Games0:26.123D LightingWe previously had Mark's friend and colleague Mike on to workshop Ladder Game.Ladder GameUniversal Render Pipeline documentationUnitySG Series Part 1: A Brief (and Incomplete) History of Baked Lighting Representa…MJPThe Danger ZoneReflectors: Your Secret Weapon for Amazing Portrait PhotographyOded WagensteinDigital Photography School0:58.43Menus vs Parkourmenus and parkourimGhostKittyRedditSave Room - Organization PuzzleFractal ProjectsSteam

WARNING: This episode is even longer than last week's! Settle into the back half of GDC 2026 with tales from your nice hosts about interesting talks, the "new" Festival Hall, what it feels like to be up for multiple major industry awards, running into people you know for the first time, and flying home to a impending snowstorm.In this Patreon-exclusive video, Lydia thought to mark her first GDC by capturing her first impressions of the conference's Festival Hall. Sign up at any level for instant access or, if you're not ready to enter a financial relationship with the program, you can purchase it à la carte!0:02:44GDC 2026 - (Dale's) Monday/TuesdayWeaponized Play: How Extremist Networks are Targeting Children in Online GamesKatia Potapov, Rita Fabi, Jang Kim, Jessa MelleaGame Developer ConferencePage to Booth: Table-Reading and Performance Recording Live DemoAlexa Ray Corriea, Sam Maggs, Ben Starr, Jennifer Hale, Khris Brown, Amanda Rose SmithGame Developer Conference0:09:34GDC 2026 - WednesdayRules of the Game 2026: Revealing Techniques from Resourceful DesignersGame Developer ConferenceImprov Games for Game DevelopersRez GrahamGame Developer ConferenceDecolonizing Play and the Rise of African Game Development (2013-2026)Eyram TawiaGame Developer ConferenceSerious Games RoundtableMatthew Lee, Kathleen YinGame Developer Conference'SILENT HILL f': The Challenges of Creating a Melee-Only Horror GameAl YangGame Developer ConferenceTest Like the Top Studios: Actionable Player Insights in 60 MinutesHeather De BernardiGame Developer ConferenceThe IGF 2026 Winners Are An Exceptional Selection Of Indie Games You’re Going T…John WalkerKotakuTrump administration's "cruel and unnecessary" acts called out by Titanium Cour…Mark WarrenRock Paper Shotgun0:56:54GDC 2026 - ThursdayBuilding a Critically Acclaimed Licensed Game in 18 MonthsAmanda FaroughGame Developer ConferenceXbox Gaming for Everyone Community Networking Lounge Returns to GDC 2026MIcrosoftNobody Reads Anything: How Narrative Can Communicate So Other Disciplines Actua…Mark Slutsky, Laura Michet, Kevin SnowGame Developer ConferenceVeterans Q&A for New Writers and Narrative DesignersGame Developer ConferenceGaming the System: Creating Your Own Path to a Narrative Design CareerZoe Calamar, Luca Azenaro-AceroGame Developer Conference Worst.Game.Ever. Fixing Diabetes Management with a Video GameSam GlassenbergGame Developer Conference1:33:03GDC 2026 - FridayDigital Folklore: Crafting Playable Memory Through Photogrammetry and Animation…Verda MunirGame Developer ConferenceSan Francisco Railway Museum & Gift ShopThe Dialogue Design Panel: A Role with a Million NamesCharles Pateman, Kareem Shuman, Monet Gardiner, Heather Plunkard-SergeGame Developer ConferenceTop 10 Ways to Get Your Game Ready For SuccessShawn Alexander AllenGame Developer ConferenceLive Sky Sound Bath and MeditationthatgamecompanyInstagramEssential Debugging Skills for Every DeveloperRez GrahamGame Developer ConferenceExperimental Games ShowcaseGame Developer ConferenceExperimental Games Showcase DemosGame Developer Conference

This year's GDC Special is a big one. So big that this episode is over 2 hours long... and it's only part 1 (but your nice hosts don't know that yet)!0:15:49GDC 2026 - Monday GDC Encounters: Speed Networking Day 1Game Developer ConferenceThe Tension: Designing for Discomfort in 'Wanderstop'Steven MargolinGame Developer ConferenceThe Black Designers' Dilemma"Carl Varnado, Jabari Ali, Jarory DeJesus, Evan Narcisse"Game Developer ConferenceThe Games Industry Social (aka: GIG IRL)Media Indie Exchange (aka: The MIX)DogpileToot GamesGame Funding: Lessons from Outersloth"Victoria Tran, Forest Willard"Game Developer ConferenceOutersloth reveals its game funding agreement with developersAlex Forbes-CalvinGamesIndustry.bizFrom Beautiful to Playable: Texture Compression Secrets Every Game Artist Shoul…Jad DeebGame Developer ConferenceFour Artists Use Substance 3D to Texture 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33'"Alan Reynaud, Mathieu Costat"Game Developer ConferenceGDC 101"Sam Warnke, Natalie Sam"Game Developer ConferenceFrom Reliable to Respected: Breaking Free of the Good Job TrapCecile HemeryGame Developer ConferenceEstablishing the Standards and Practices of Game Preservation"Garrett Fredley, Andrew Borman"Game Developer ConferenceFresh Grad to Art Director: My Journey at 'Love and Deepspace'Xianzi FengGame Developer ConferenceCutscene Pipeline in 'Love and Deepspace'"Xianyu Wang, Ji Zhang"Game Developer Conference1:06:09GDC 2026 - TuesdayGame Education Roundtable Day 1Game Developer ConferencePraise the Architect and Pass the Ammunition: Health & Damage in 'The Outer Wor…Game Developer Conference'Civilization VII': Impactful UI Sound Design at ScaleKadet KuhneGame Developer ConferenceWhy We Still Believe: A Conversation with Amir SatvatAmir SatvatGame Developer ConferenceAlways Supporting (the) Games CommunityAmir Satvat3rd Annual Game Developer's ConcertAustin WintoryGame Developer ConferenceTechnical Artists Roundtable (20th Year)!!! Day 1Jeff HannaGame Developer ConferenceThe Modular and Expressive World Art of 'Keeper'Nick MaksimGame Developer ConferenceLocal Game Community Organizers ForumMarlena Abraham, Michael Lee, Daniel Lin, Laia BeeGame Developer ConferenceTiny ConSociety of PlayBlack in GamingSo Your Game Got Cancelled: Navigating Personal Development and Career OutcomesMark LaCroixGame Developer ConferenceSince we recorded this episode, a major South Korean gaming website wrote up a very detailed recap of Mark's roundtable. [English Machine Translation]MAR10 Day returns with festivities for fans of all ages in honor of the Super M…NintendoWhy Good Games Fail: The Startup Audit Every Studio NeedsLucien ParsonsGame Developer Conference'despelote': Capturing the Feeling of 2001 Quito, EcuadorJulian CorderoGame Developer Conference

In this Episode, Ian once again joins the clubhouse as Dale and Mark are off on a nerdy vacation. Lydia wrestles with the term "cozy," and Stephen does some self exploration to determine why so-called cozy games make him more stressed out. Then, he creates a whole topic just to talk about the fast travel system in Dragon’s Dogma 2.Stephen pitched Sledgehammer Bride to Melanated Games Kitchen.Melanated Game KitchenThe clubhouse hosted a Nice Thinking episode about Sledgehammer bride back in episode 240 Nice Thinking: "Sledgehammer Bride"Lydia and Ian went to Con of the NorthCon of the NorthLydia and Ian are playing Blippo+Mark was a developer on the PC version of Blippo+ which is a 2026 IGF award finalist.Blippo+0:09:15Cozy Games0:38:26Fast TravelDragon's Dogma 2

Watch out, Clubhouse! Evil Games Club is out of the air vents and back in orbit to interrupt your regularly scheduled Nice Programming.Five years in the vacuum of space haven't dulled their ne're-do-well nature one bit. In fact, they just intercepted a game jam prompt from one of the Nice Hosts. Will Dale, Ian, and Sam prove once and for all that Evil trumps Nice?Well, duh, of course they do!  >:)The last appearance of the Evil Hosts.Evil Games Jam: Casino Go FishJunction Jam Interest FormMewgenics - SteamAxios Twin Cities, the folks who are cataloguing the Twin Cities' store cats - Audrey KennedyPromptMake a game about what actually happens when "the Cat Distribution System is at work." Matchmaking can be a secondary mechanic, but it should not be the focus.Game typeDesign documentPlayer count1SetupRulesNotes:Working title: Cat CommsWhat is the goal?Cats on a journey through an environment to find ownersDifferent cats have different movement behaviorsTorties need to meet twiceOrange ones ignore herder but follow foodBlack cats are shySingle player - one person “herding” multiple catsHerding through an urban environmentPeople (NPCs) have routes and different behaviorsGrandma moves slowJogger moves fastPeople going back and forth - work, library, grocery store, homeMechanicsOne-time use itemsFood for bait (burger, canned sardines from grocery store)Fire truck to block streetDogsMore cats than people, some people may want more than one cat“End of level” time runs out or cats just kinda leave?More cats than peopleCats get more chaotic/mischievous How to herd?Real-time movement, but you can select a cat to tell it its next move, but it keeps moving after thatMap is a small town, each level introduces new cat typesIterationsRagdoll cat - doesn’t move muchPeople who can’t be trackedBonus points for people getting their perfect catNo upgrades to your skills, just adding more challengesMatchmaking is secondaryAny cat could match with any person, but they have a perfect match somewhereDogs are a no cat zoneGrocery store could match with a cat (bodega cat)

Your nice hosts had an eventful time off from new episodes, but now they're back! So yeah, this is a long one...What The Show Did on Winter Break (2025-26)Boot the Dispute - a thing that solves your problems!YouTubeArt & Fear Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of ArtmakingDavid Bayles and Ted OrlandLydia's WebsiteGlomNice Games ClubWhat Each of Us Did On Winter Break (2025-26)IDGATC Global Game Jam 2026Global Game JamThe first recorded character exploration of Henle, Lydia's D&D character, written over a year before the campaign started.Lydia finally started acting on the feedback the Nice Hosts gave on the memory mechanic she developed for D&D 5eUntitled Memory MechanicWebinar | Whose Game Is It Anyway? Live Learning Game Design ImprovYouTubeJunction Jam interest formStar Trek: The Cruise Blippo+The 50 best games of 2025PolygonThe 12 Best Video Games Of 2025KotakuThe best games of 2025AV ClubThe 25 Best Games Of 2025, RankedInverseThe Besties game of the year 2025 is...The BestiesBaby Steps leads 28th annual IGF Awards nominationsChris KerrGame DeveloperThe New York Game Awards 2026 Winners Have Been Revealed!Philip WatsonCGMagazine

While Mark is off on a Star Trek cruise, the rest of your nice hosts invite Lydia's husband Ian Peters to discuss tabletop games, specifically RPGs! We've split this supersized episode and topic into three different acts for your listening pleasure.0:01:58Holistic Connection of Theme and MechanicBlades in the DarkEvil Hat ProductionsGURPS: Generic Universal RolePlaying SystemSteve Jackson GamesThirsty Sword LesbiansEvil Hat ProductionsDialect: A Game About Language and How It DiesThorny Games0:33:41DiceCall of Cthulhu RPGChaosium Inc.Does a crit always mean success?MolaschiRedditDread the RPGThe Impossible DreamKids on BikesHunters Entertainment1:00:28FlexibilityLydia had talked about tabletop mechanics in her Untitled Memory Mechanic Nice Thinking episodeUntitled Memory MechanicCitizen SleeperJump Over The AgeSteam