199: Interview with Karla Zimonja & Davey Wreden

Jacob interviews Karla and Zimonja from Ivy Road about their experience building the characters, world, and gameplay systems of their recent release, Wanderstop. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUESTS: Davey Wreden (Bluesky) Karla Zimonja (Bluesky) SHOW NOTES: 0:00​​ - Housekeeping 2:00 - Intro 4:30 - Prototypes & Inspirations 7:00 - Approach to Cozy Games 9:10 - How Wanderstop Supports Chill 13:00 - Nodes 15:10 - Monster 20:45 - Finding the Right Balance with Monster 24:30 - When Karla Met Davey 28:20 - Tea vs. Coffee and the Machine 32:50 - The Business Boys 36:00 - Pacing 37:55 - Dirk Warhard 40:30 - The Team at Ivy Road 44:30 - COVID 49:00 - Ren 56:15 - Nana 56:45 - Zenith 1:01:45 - The Last Choice and Why It Doesn't Matter 1:05:15 - Looking Back at Development 1:10:45 - The Risk of Hurting Players 1:16:45 - Despelote 1:19:30 - What Now? RESOURCES: Episode 4: Interview with Karla Zimonja Episode 196: Wanderstop BLUESKY: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast that focuses on positivity and community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

Jacob, Katie, Travis and Flora have returned from Boston and built the list of their favourite games from PAX East 2025. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) Travis Colenutt (Bluesky) Katie Lesperance (Bluesky) Flora Merigold (Bluesky) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social SHOW NOTES: 0:00​​ - Intro 1:25 - Housekeeping 1:50 - Our PAX Experiences 7:15 - Six One Indie Spring Showcase 2025 Truth Scrapper Away From Home 1000xRESIST Vinyl Forbidden Solitaire HOTEL BARCELONA A Week in the Life of an Asocial Giraffe Guilty as Sock! Kabuto Park The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish 14:20 - Our Favourite Games of PAX East 2025 14:35 - Monster Train 2 18:15 - Desktop Survivors 98 21:55 - LOVE ETERNAL (check out Love) 26:15 - TANUKI: Pon's Summer 29:05 - Hell Clock 31:30 - Elden Ring Nightreign 36:30 - Constance (Bonus - The Berlin Apartment) 42:15 - Compensation Not Guaranteed: Interview with Arya Wiryawan Wibowo 45:45 - Compensation Not Guaranteed  52:55 - GIGASWORD 59:20 - Fretless - The Wrath of Riffson 1:03:30 - No, I'm Not A Human 1:10:40 - Fresh Tracks Interview with Patrick Owens from Buffalo Buffalo 1:17:25 - Fresh Tracks 1:21:20 - MotionRec (Bonus - Skateboard Knight) 1:27:45 - Perfect Tides: Station to Station 1:33:30 - Militsioner 1:38:25 - Ctrl Alt Deal Interview Alison Czarnietzki from Only By Midnight 1:45:20 - Ctrl Alt Deal 1:48:55 - Aksun 1:50:00 - Bytebond 1:51:00 - Cappy & Tappy: Temples of Peril 1:52:10 - Whirlight - No Time To Trip 1:53:15 - Missile Command Delta 1:55:35 - Birdigo 1:57:20 - Undusted: Letters from the Past Interview with Lala from Toge Productions 2:00:30 - DoubleShake Interview with Liam Goodwater & Nick Roger from Right Stick Studios 2:05:30 - Video Game Trivia Panel 2:08:45 - Episode 199/200 2:09:30 - Outro RESOURCES: ‘Desktop Survivors 98’: My Favorite Game at PAX East 2025 via Epilogue Gaming No Small Games - PAX East 2025 Recap LBGC 181 - PAX East 2024 Mega Show ft. Fretless Interview Yvette Young - Hydra Video Game Trivia: Reloaded (PAX East 2025) Crossplay Conversations' Favourite Games of PAX East 2025 Special DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast that focuses on positivity and community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We got on our motorcycle and rode around the city in No More Heroes! Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture | Publisher: Ubisoft/XSEED | Initial Release: January 22, 2008 Jacob, Travis and special guest Seth Strugill from All N Media and Carpool Gaming sit in our gross apartment, suplex fools and shake our beam katana to recharge. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) Travis Colenutt (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUEST: Seth Sturgill (Bluesky) from Carpool Gaming and All N Media Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 1:45 - Intro to Seth Sturgill 4:00 - Fast Pitch 7:30 - Gameplay Overview 15:30 - 2000s Era Open Worlds 18:10 - Suda51 and David Lynch 22:15 - Other NHM Games 25:00 - Combat 29:45 - Motion Controls 30:30 - Sound Design 32:50 - Appreciating NMH 36:40 - Destroyman 40:30 - The Spoiler Wall 41:10 - Holly Summers 47:00 - Bad Girl 49:30 - Suda51's Other Games 55:00 - Jeane 1:01:50 - Henry 1:03:15 - Side Jobs 1:05:00 - Reviews 1:11:50 Outro & PAX East 2025 RESOURCES: Review: No More Heroes & No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle via Destructoid No More Heroes Review via Nintendo Life DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We spilled some tea in Wanderstop. Developer: Ivy Road | Publisher: Annapurna Interactive | Initial Release: February 24, 2025 Jacob and special guest Matt Storm aka Stormageddon run through the forest, grow some fruit and reflect on our own lives. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUEST: Matt Storm aka Stormageddon (Bluesky) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 0:40 - Intro to Matt Storm 5:20 - Fast Pitch 6:20 - Disclosures 6:40 - How We Played 7:35 - Gameplay Basics 12:50 - Story Setup 19:45 - Graphics 23:00 - Mugs 25:20 - Voice Acting 27:20 - Music 29:15 - Our Tea Orders 31:00 - Final Non-Spoiler Thoughts 35:05 - Spoiler Warning 35:20 - What It's All About 37:30 - Staying Quiet 41:20 - Controlling Your Drive 42:30 - Ren 47:00 - Reflection & Achievements 53:40 - Business Men 58:40 - Your Trainer & Your Craft 1:04:50 - Monster 1:08:45 - Ending 1:15:30 - 10,000 Hours 1:17:45 - Seasons of Change 1:21:20 - Final Thoughts and Outro MATT'S PAST EPISODES: The Last of Us PAX West 2022 Mega Show Yakuza o [Part 2] Nintendo Gamecube Retrospective (Live from PAX East 2023) Coffee Talk RESOURCES: Our Interview with Karla Zimonja “Fun” & Games Podcast - Side Quest: Kirby Super Star “Fun” & Games Podcast - Side Quest: Sonic 3 & Knuckles “Fun” & Games Podcast - Side Quest: Psychonauts “Fun” & Games Podcast Episode 145: Mini Discs, Big Fun Matt's Review of Wanderstop DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We pray near the well in Indika.   Developer: Odd Meter | Publisher: 11 bit studios | Initial Release: May 2, 2024   Jacob, Katie and Travis gather religion points, run from dogs and push some boxes.   PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) Katie Lesperance (Bluesky) Travis Colenutt (Bluesky) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 1:20 - Fast Pitch 2:25 - Our Histories with Indika 4:55 - The Setup 8:40 - Presentation 12:20 - Hearing God and the Devil 19:05 - A Post-Hellblade World 22:50 - Flashbacks 26:00 - Gaming the System 36:45 - Temptation 41:00 - Pushing Boxes 43:55 - Children 46:00 - Jail Cell 49:20 - Seeing Yourself 52:15 - Falling 55:20 - Puzzle Things 1:00:00 - Who Do You Hand Indika To? 1:05:00 - Outro DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We build our crew and escape our captor in Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector!   Developer: Jump Over the Age | Publisher: Fellow Traveller | Initial Release: January 31, 2025   Jacob and special guest Adam Gumbert roll many dice, race against the clock and question the humanity of android life.   Thanks to our friends at Fellow Traveller for sending codes for review.   PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUESTS: Adam Gumbert Bluesky | Respawn Aim Fire! Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 2:40 - Icebreaker: "What's your experience with Citizen Sleeper and games like it?" 5:45 - A one-sentence pitch 7:10 - "Desperation is the name of the game" 12:15 - Stress 15:00 - Push 19:20 - Citizen Sleeper vs. Citizen Sleeper 2 21:00 - Characters 25:00 - Writing 29:45 - Music and Art 34:00 - Spoilers Begin Here 34:10 - Flint 38:55 - Control 42:00 - Yu-Jin 45:45 - Ankhita 52:10 - The Ending 57:25 - The Future of Citizen Sleeper and Outro RESOURCES: Jacob's Written Review on Citizen Sleeper 2 Jacob & Luke's Game Club Discussion about Citizen Sleeper DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We explore Erlin's Eye in Citizen Sleeper!   Developer: Jump Over the Age | Publisher: Fellow Traveller | Initial Release: May 5, 2022   Jacob and special guest Luke Lewis eat some mushrooms, befriend rogue AIs and consistently run out of time.   PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUESTS: Luke Lewis Bluesky | Crossplay Conversations | LukeWarmGames Podcast Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social   TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 1:35 - Fast Pitch 2:15 - How Did We Play? 3:30 - The World of Citizen Sleeper 6:00 - Gameplay 13:00 - Parallels to Tabletop 13:40 - Energy and Condition 15:50 - Drives 18:30 - Characters 20:05 - Spoiler Wall 20:55 - Lem and Mina 23:10 - Emphis 27:10 - Peake and Eshe 32:00 - Being Bad at Citizen Sleeper 35:10 - Navigator 38:45 - Maywick 42:20 - Bliss 45:20 - Endings 48:10 - Music & Art 50:20 - A Tease for Citizen Sleeper 2 53:50 - Outro RESOURCES: "Fun" and Games Podcast Interview w/ Gareth Damian on Citizen Sleeper Jacob's Written Review on Citizen Sleeper 2 DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We rock & roll in Brutal Legend! Developer: Double Fine Productions | Publisher: Double Fine Productions | Initial Release: October 13, 2009 Jacob, Katie and special guest Roger Reichardt drive through the wasteland, fly around the battlefield on devil wings and talk to heavy metal legends. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (Bluesky) Katie Lesperance (Bluesky) SPECIAL GUESTS: Roger Reichardt from Gamerheads Podcast | Audio | Bluesky | YouTube Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Bluesky: leftbehindgameclub.bsky.social SHOW NOTES: 0:00 Intro 1:30 Intro to Roger 4:30 Fast Pitch 5:15 Our History with Double Fine 8:40 How We Played 10:45 Gameplay Elements 19:10 Bobby Kotick & Brutal Legend 2 21:15 Roger on Project Management 24:00 Voice Cast 28:00 Story Spoilers Begin 32:30 Licensing Minute 36:30 Brutal Legend 2 38:40 A Product Of Its Time 42:20 RTS Stuff 48:30 Solos & Rocktober 13th 52:00 Story Stuff 54:20 Troublesome Missions 56:40 Final Thoughts & Outro RESOURCES: Video Game Trivia on Gamerheads Podcast Video Game Trivia (from PAX West 2024) ft. Roger Reichardt Our past Double Fine episodes: 016: Costume Quest 053: Costume Quest: Grubbins on Ice 083: Broken Age 104: Psychonauts 156: Grim Fandango Bobby Kotick slags off Tim Schafer via Eurogamer Indie Game Awards - Crossplay Conversations College Football 25 - The Greatest Story Ever Played DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We cry like babies in Finding Paradise. Note: It was just Jacob. Developer: Freebird Games | Publisher: Freebird Games | Initial Release: December 14, 2017 Jacob and special guest Dan from The Greatest Story Ever Played Podcast dive into dreams, fulfill our greatest fantasies and destroy our regrets. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) SPECIAL GUESTS: Dan from the Greatest Story Ever Played Podcast | Twitter Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: 0:00 Intro 3:45 Fast Pitch 4:45 How Did We Play? 7:50 Thoughts on To The Moon 9:15 High-Level Story 12:00 Sofia, Asher and Faye 13:30 The Spoiler Wall 14:40 Act 3 24:40 Jacob Cries 29:30 The Book 33:50 Music 36:00 Final Thoughts & Outro DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

Jacob and Katie build the list of their favourite games from GDEX 2024. PLAYERS: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: 0:00​​ Intro 1:05 Our Thoughts on GDEX 2:30 Housekeeping 3:45 Collapsus Interview with Jay Kidd from Wraith Games 10:10 Collapsus Itch.io Early Access | Steam 10:50 Dark Sky 13:00 Hive Jump 2: Survivors 16:35 Duck Paradox 18:55 Lullaby of Life 22:15 The Pedestrian 26:50 Mole Maiden 28:55 The Boundary Condition 33:40 Primrows 36:45 Derelict 39:50 Recap and Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!