Kritiqal Care

Sylvie (she/her) is a prolific creator of challenging platformers, action RPGs, and games about cats. She sat down with me to discuss her design philosophy based in constraints, games as conversations, and her esoteric entry into the year of bump combat. Later, she 1CCs an arcade cult classic. You can learn more about Sylvie’s games and writing on her website, and follow her on cohost @sylvie. Sylvie’s Cool Things to Share- The Tower of Druaga (Namco, 1984) and her 1CC playthrough Things Discussed- Sylvie’s game spreadsheet- love ♥ game- Sylvie Lime (Sylvie, 2023)- Her Little Sylvietower (Sylvie, 2022)- Sylvie RPG: 7 Elf Apocalypse (Sylvie, 2024)- Sylvie Miniature (Sylvie, 2024)- The Ys franchise (Nihon Falcom, 1987-2023)- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions, upcoming)- Sylvie’s essay “Ways of Speaking” Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Meredith Gran (she/her) is a comics artist and game designer, best known for her webcomic, Octopus Pie and the adventure game Perfect Tides. She sat down with me to talk about her experience coming to games from a comics background, how Perfect Tides’ mechanics where influenced by teenage naivety, and why the 00s are such a rich period for coming of age stories. Finally, we wrap up with a teaser for the upcoming sequel, Perfect Tides: Station to Station. You can learn more about Meredith’s games and comics on her website. Meredith’s Cool Things to Share- Having a VHS collection with Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff, 2001) Things Discussed- Perfect tides (Three Bees, 2022)- Octopus Pie (Meredith Gran, 2007-2017)- King's Quest (Sierra, 1984)- I Like Movies (Chandler Levack, 2022)- PEN15 (Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, and Sam Zvibleman, 2019-2021)- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Meredith Gran, upcoming) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

For the first Kritiqal Care bonus episode, returning guests Colin (he/they) of melessthanthree and Kevin Wong (they/them) join me to discuss their recently released action RPG, Death of a Wish. A more aggressive sequel to Lucah: Born of a Dream, Death of a Wish follows ex-antagonist Christian as he embarks on a revenge mission against the christofascist Sanctum. We discuss where the idea for a sequel came from, its themes emerging from contemporary anxieties and apathy, balancing thematic resonance with difficulty, and planning a coordinated marketing push for an effective team of two. Death of a Wish is available now on itch, Steam, and Switch. Things Discussed- Death of a Wish (melessthanthree, 2024)- Lucah: Born of a Dream (melessthanthree, 2018)- Dear Future (Dear Future Production Committee, 2021)- How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber, 2022) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Cecile Richard (they/them) is a graphic designer, writer, and game developer known for their playful Bitsy projects and hypertext fiction. They joined me to discuss cyclical stories, the risk/reward of collaborating with close friends, and how cool underground tunnels are. We also take a moment to proselytize about editors, and I learn about a new, extremely fake sounding sport. You can play Cecile’s games on itch, and follow them on cohost @haraiva. Cecile’s Cool Things to Share- Australian sports season starting up soon (go Geelong Cats!)- Subterraneans Podcast Things Discussed- Indiepocalypse (listen to our episode with Andrew)- Domino Club (check out our episode with Emma, Nat, and Rose)- Bitsy (enjoy our episode with Adam Le Doux)- Novena (Cecile Richard, 2018)- Endless Scroll (Cecile Richard, 2019)- Topography (Cecile Richard, 2020)- Hope (Cecile Richard and Cable Ties, 2020)- Gutless (Domino Club, 2022)- Cycle (Domino Club, 2022)- The Devil’s Imago (Domino Club, 2023 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

David Su (he/him) is a musician, audio programmer, and game designer who explores interactive music and performance art. He took some time off from his ballooning schedule to discuss how he got interested in making games from an audio background, the challenges and rewards of centering your game around sound, and the playful earnestness of a cloned sheep’s lament. Later, we wander into a video store. You can play Davids games on itch, and follow him on Twitter @usdivad. David’s Cool Things to Share- Visiting local video stores and buying DVDs Things Discussed- Brass Lion Entertainment- Runaway Reveree (David Su, 2016)- Yi and the Thousand Moons (David Su, 2017)- Seasons (David Su and Dominique Star, 2018)- The Ballad of the Metamorphosis of M. Dolly (David Su, 2019)- One Hand Clapping (Bad Dream Games, 2021)- Tasting Room Jam Halloween 2019 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving a review or rating, sharing it with a loved one, and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

It’s New Year’s Eve, which means 2023 has come and gone, bringing in closing our annual end of the year show. As is tradition, I reached out to past guests of the show to ask what their most impactful gaming memory was from the last 12 months. As this year has been particularly brutal to folks in and around games, I opened the prompt up to not exclusively focus on good memories, hoping instead to simply reflect on the year as a whole, positive and negative. The responses were as insightful, touching, and playful as ever, running the gamut from industry events, personal milestones, and games that captured people’s imaginations. I hope you enjoy this look back at 2023, and that you have a great 2024. Happy new year! FeaturingElaine Gómez | Kate Olguin | Quinn K | Andrew of Indiepocalypse | Nicholas O'Brien | SKELETON DEEP HELL DOT COM | Taylor McCue | Nilson Carroll | Kat of Pixel A Day | Nathan Blades | Kevin Wong | Jeff Chiao | Lily Valeen | Canvas (bighandinsky) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Domino Club is a pseudo-anonymous internet collective that makes weird, horny, and genre perverting videogames. In this episode I’m joined by Domino Club card carrying members Emma (she/her), Nat (she/they), and Rose (she/her) to chat about the group’s origins, its unconventional approach to anthology projects, and how all these games are secretly just for them. We also dive into their latest jam, Humors & Humus, to discuss how each member approached the chickpea-less theme. You can find all of Domino Club’s games on itch and their website, and the group on Twitter @club_domino. Domino Club’s Cool Things to Share (more down below)- Rose: Cecil B. Demented (John Waters, 2000)- Nat: the films of Sarah Jacobson- Emma: people who have been inspired by Domino Club to make their own game groups Domino Club Games Discussed- HACKER//SUCKER//LOSER (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Adverse Possession (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Ziptie Choker (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- The Devil’s Imago (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- PISSED-ON PETITE PERVERT (Humors & Humus Jam, 2023)- Greaser (Metal & Flesh Jam, 2022) Other Things Discussed- Believeinthe.net- Garden’s of Vextro (vextro, 2022)- Donating My Body To Science (Heavens To Betsy, 1994)- FREEYOUTUBEMP3DOWNLOAD- Mutant Hunt (Tim Kincaid, 1987) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi. View additional question answers from other Domino Club members on KRITIQAL.

Sam Machell (he/him) is half of indie game studio Sand Gardeners, known for provocative and unconventional games like Dark Kitchen, Memphis, Bubbleland, and Brownie Cove Cancelled. We chat about the studio’s origins as a webcomic collaboration, designing hostile environments, and the tragedy and possibility of unarchivable games. Later, Sam gives a brief eulogy for the Wii U, sadly taken from us too soon. You can play Sand Gardeners’s games on itch, and follow Sam on Instagram @sambehindglass. Sam’s Inspiring Things to Share- The tragically misunderstood Wii U Things Discussed- the Brownie Cove webcomic (partially archived on its facebook page)- Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer, 2016-2020)- Exhaustlands (Sand Gardeners, 2018)- Brownie Cove Cancelled (2018)- Kitchen For One (Sand Gardeners, 2019)- Dark Kitchen (2020)- Memphis, Bubbleland (2022)- Unpaid Serenade for Future Solution Group [2026 eCon Grief/Heartbreak Singalong Nightmare/Archive] (Sand Gardeners, 2021)- Feast Work (Sand Gardeners, 2023)- non-places (Marc Auge’s Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity)- non-time (Mark Fisher’s Ghosts of my Life)- non-endings (LeeRoy Lewin’s The Aleph Hustle)- co-open (lowpolis, 2021)- No shit, video games are political. They’re conservative. (Josh Tucker, 2019) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Lili Zone (she/they) is the experimental game designer behind works like Crypt World (2013) and Crypt Underworld (2023). She took some time to chat with me about Crypt World’s origins, the nearly decade long development of Underworld, and what she has planned for the future now the crypts are behind her. We also dig into the evolving conception of indie games, the “small games matter” PR amnesia cycle, and gaming’s ongoing embarrassment and adoration for Great Men™️. You can play Lili’s games on itch, and her personal site. Lili’s Cool Things to Share- The Blazing World (Margaret Cavendish, 1666) Things Discussed- Crypt World- Crypt Underworld- The Virtual Museum of Dead-Wifery (Lili Zone, 2020)- Room Map (Lili Zone, 2022)- Glorious Trainwrecks- Problem Attic (Liz Ryerson, 2013)- Indie Game: The Movie (James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot, 2012) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Canvas (he/she), aka bighandinsky, is the creator of crunchy, narrative driven scifi games A Forgetful Loop (2020) and A Day of Maintenance (2022). He’s collaborated with fellow writers and indie devs Freya Campbell and Elliot Herriman, and joined me on this episode to chat about integrating dense narration into mechanics heavy games, writing casual and circuitous conversations with robots, and the struggle of managing energy and stress during longterm projects. You can follow Canvas on Cohost @peterrobot, and play his games on itch. Canvas’ Cool/Inspiring Things to Share- Daily wordplay games Murdle and Redactcle- How much they appreciate their partner Things Discussed- A Forgetful Loop- A Day of Maintenance- Two Peas in a Pod (bighandinsky, 2021)- Ink by Inkle- Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguro, 2022) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Leah Case (she/her) is a writer and game developer who specializes in absurd Twine hacking. In our chat, she digs into why she loves Twine so much, how she approaches writing branching interactive fiction, and how collaborating as part of snotwurm lets her focus in on system building (in Twine, of course). She closes the show out by teasing a forthcoming visual novel strategy game, and recommending some further listening. You can follow Leah on Twitter @leahthecase, and play her games on itch. Leah's Cool Things to Share- C. J. Cherryh’s science fiction writing Things Discussed- Twine- Lysogenesis (Leah Case, 2022)- A Political Marriage (Leah Case, 2022)- SugarPhone, a SugarCube 2 Phone Engine (Leah Case, 2023)- Leaving, 2153 (Leah Case, 2020)- San Francisco, 2118 (Leah Case, 2019)- Snotwurm- GOOD DUNGEON (Snotwurm, 2021)- BAPY (Snotwurm, 2021) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Autumn Rain (she/they/it) is a prolific game developer whose work explores religious trauma, non-linear exploration, and getting lost in a maze of rats. We discuss games as miserable piles of secrets, the importance of indie dev communities, and why it’s actually fine and good to troll gamers. You can follow Autumn on Twitter @slitherpunk, on Tumblr @slitherpunk, and play her games on itch. Autumns's Cool Things to Share- Lunacid (KIRA LLC, 2022)- Cartomancy Anthology (Compact, 2022)- The Owl House (Dana Terrace, 2020-2023) Things Discussed- Sewer Rave (Autumn Rain, 2018)- Voidland Mystery Goodnight (Autumn Rain, 2022)- Be Not Afraid A.K.A. Seraphim Horror Show!? (Autumn Rain, 2020)- Artists of a Dead World (Autumn Rain, 2020)- Gardens of a New World (Autumn Rain, 2021)- Super Paper Mario (Intelligent Systems, 2007)- Code Coven- Haunted PS1 Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Lily Valeen (she/they) is a game designer, writer, and artist who recently released BOSSGAME: The Final Boss is My Heart, a mobile action game about lesbian devil hunters. She joined me on the show to dive into BOSSGAME's development, the frustrating preconceptions around mobile games, and writing queer romance. Later on, we encourage you to befriend your cool mutuals. You can follow Lily on Twitter @ItsMeLilyV, and play her games on iOS, Android, and itch. Lily's Cool Thing to Share- Becoming friends with people on the internet (it's more likely than you think!) Things Discussed- BOSSGAME (Lilycore Games, 2022)- Collaborating with guest artists (full list of artists here)- A lost era of mobile games- Indie game marketing (spoiler: there's no secret)- Mobile -> PC -> mobile ports- Romances about couples that are already together- Mystic Messenger (Cheritz, 2016) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting KRITIQAL on Ko-Fi.

Kate Barrett (she/her) is a game developer and comic artist best known for her playful, irreverent, and frequently copyright infringing design philosophy, best showcased by games such as Ready Player Fuck (2017) and Pottergame (2020). She joined me this episode to retrace her curiosity-turned-obsession with Earnest Cline’s novel, evangelize her suitably unorthodox commitment to Blitz3D, and discuss the freedom that comes with embracing Glorious Trainwrecks. You can play Kate’s games on itch and Glorious Trainwrecks. Kate’s Inspiring Thing to Share - Playing more videogames (and learning to enjoy them again) Things Discussed - Ready Player Fuck - Amy in Art Land (Kate Barrett, upcoming) - KateLabs (Kate Barrett, 2021) - Space Funeral 3D (spiders, krisekrise, 2021) - dream metro quadrilogy (bagenzo, 2021) - Gooshlands Gathering (Cubewell, 2021) - Dolphin Preserve RPG (Whales 2021) - Devourer: The Minigames (2021) - Blitz3D now-open-source engine Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Content warning: this episode is primarily about porn Kenzie Shores (she/her) is a game developer and artist best known for the pornographic visual novel, Hardcoded. Nearing the game’s full release, Kenzie joined me to chat about Hardcoded’s origins, the challenge of monetizing porn, and why it really sucks to work on the same game for seven years. You can follow Kenzie on Twitter @yoplatz, support Hardcoded on Patreon, and download the free demo on itch. Kenzie’s Cool Things to Share - Using vegetable stock instead of water for rice (!) - The Erotic Poems of E. E. Cummings Things Discussed - Hardcoded - Why Patreon sucks for porn - Ladykiller in a Bind (Love Conquers All Games, 2016) - Ancient porn mods for The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - Manhunt (Gretchen Felker-Martin, 2022) - Content warnings in games (or the lack thereof) - Untitled sexy fantasy card game Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

The year has come and gone in a Sonic hued blur, and as is now tradition, I reached out to prior Kritiqal Care guests to ask what their favorite gaming and/or gaming-adjacent memory was in 2022. The responses were truly incredible, spanning great games, communities, moments of personal growth, and surprising opportunities. This continues to be my favorite episode of the year, and I’m so glad to get to share it with you. Happy new year! Featuring Leo Bunyea | Aubrey Isaacman | Elaine Gómez | Kate Olguin | Kiki & Alicia of Transparency | Quinn K | Andrew of Indiepocalypse | Nicholas O'Brien | SKELETON | Taylor McCue | Hyacinth Nil | Nilson Carroll | Kat of Pixel A Day | Jeff Chiao | Jeremy Couillard | Karin Malady | Joel Jordon | Son La Pham | Adam Le Doux | Jason Bakker | Max Miller | Cosmo D Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nathalie, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Dave Hoffman (they/them) is the creator of Mixolumia (davemakes, 2020), an arcade puzzle game combining contextual soundtracks with diamond-based combos. They came on the show to dig into the spontaneous origins of the game, how it continued to evolve and incorporate player creations, and the difficulty of marketing puzzle games in a streamer attention economy. Later, they admit to having never seen Goncharov (Martin Scorsese, 1973). You can follow Dave on Twitter @davemakes, on cohost @geometric, and purchase Mixolumia on itch, Steam, and Switch. Dave’s Cool Thing to Share Getting owned by Goncharov Things Discussed - Mixolumia - Executive Golf DX (davemakes, 2021) - Rotohex (Skip Ltd., 2006) - Pico-8 - Down With the Mixness  (I refer to this twice as Chop Suey and I cannot explain why) - Tetris Effect (Monstars/Resonair, 2018) - Josie Brechner’s music - SimCity 2000: Urban Renewal Kit (Maxis, 1994) - Petal Crash (Friend & Fairy, 2020) - Spirit Swap (Soft Not Weak, 2023) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Cosmo D (he/him) is a game developer and musician whose work explores urban life, the creator economy, and giant pizza demanding buildings. Hot off the release of Betrayal At Club Low (2022), Cosmo D sat down with me to detail his dramatic pivot out of music into games, finding a medium that inspires you to keep growing, and chasing his space trucker sim white whale. You can play Cosmo D’s games on Steam and itch, purchase the soundtracks on Bandcamp, and join his community on Discord. Cosmo D’s Cool Thing to Share The Great Pottery Throw Down (Love Productions, 2015-ongoing) Things Discussed Off-Peak (Cosmo D, 2014) The Norwood Suite (Cosmo D, 2017) Tales From Off-Peak City Vol. 1 (Cosmo D, 2020) Betrayal At Club Low Gone Home (Fullbright, 2013) Disco Elysium (ZA/UM, 2019) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Max Miller (they/them) is a composer, writer, and game designer. As part of new studio Pitter-Patter, they released Commonplace (2022), an ordinary adventure game about working in an office. For this episode, Max spent some time talking about the game’s experimental development, how they structured the soundtrack as a companion work, and a desire to make games that push against consumption driven mechanics. Spoiler advisory: we do not discuss many specific moments in Commonplace, but do talk a lot about the general structure and tone of the game. I’d recommend playing the game before listening, if only because everything will make much more sense. Commonplace is available on PC and Mac for free via itch. You can follow Max on Twitter @Funbil_ and keep up with Pitter-Patter @PitterPatterDev. Max’s Good Thing to Share Appreciating small, not-yet-nostalgic memories (also Tim Roger’s review of boku no natsuyasumi) Things Discussed - Commonplace -  Commonplace Original Soundtrack (Max Miller, 2022) - Yume Nikki (Kikiyama, 2004) Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.

Wayward Strand (Ghost Pattern, 2022) is an upcoming adventure game which follows Casey - a teenager and aspiring journalist - as she explores a hospital airship floating above the Australian country-side. Two of its developers, Goldie Bartlett (she/her) and Jason Bakker (he/him), joined me on this episode to dive into the game's origins, how the continuous in-game clock allows for new forms of storytelling, and how collaborating with indigenous and mental health advocacy groups helped the team write richer, more honest characters. Wayward Strand releases September 15th, 2022 on Steam, Playstation 4/5, Xbox One/Series, and Nintendo Switch. You can follow Goldie, Jason, and Ghost Pattern on Twitter @GhostTownGoldie, @jason_bakker, and @ghostpattern (respectively). Goldie and Jason's Inspiring Things to Share - Goldie: her gratitude towards the Ghost Pattern team for all their work - Jason: the curiosity and joy of his 2-year-old daughter Things Discussed - Wayward Strand - Sleep No More (Punchdrunk, 2011) - Little Party (Turnfollow, 2015) - Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik, 2019) - Bunurong Land Council - Dementia Alliance International - "Growing up and growing old in Wayward Strand" by Stephanie Harkin Kritiqal Care is produced by me, Nate Kiernan, with music by Desired. It's available on Pocket Casts, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get podcasts. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a loved one and supporting Kritiqal on Ko-Fi.