House of Games

In this episode, we delve into the world of collectors’ editions in the games industry and discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly, how we would design our own collector’s editions, and much, much more! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:33 Episode Starts05:34 Rune’s Experience and Dreams of Collector’s Editions12:52 Collector’s Editions Gone Wrong13:36 Grand Theft Auto IV: Collector’s Edition14:43 Fallout 4 & Fallout 7630:38 Are Preorders Harmful to the Games Industry?50:18 Sunset Moon and Prototyping55:47 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-70-collectors-edition-60b312ba60b8

Tune in as Mireneye and Ulfgang tell us all about Dynasthir, a game over a decade in the making with all its ups and downs while Otto and Rune talk about their impressions from playing it first-hand! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:31 Episode Starts01:22 Ulfgang Introduction02:15 Mireneye Introduction03:59 The History of Dynasthir06:53 How Ulfgang Got Involved09:19 What Is Dynasthir?12:46 Dynasthir Review Starts01:09:21 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guests, and Their Games Wishlist and request access to Dynasthir on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2145210/Dynasthir/ Check out Dynasthir on itch.io! - https://mireneye.itch.io/dynasthir Join the Dynasthir speedrun competition! - https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2897980/view/4139443829726646097 Join the Dynasthir (TwinlakeMinstrels Tower) Discord Server! - https://discord.gg/C9jKbyXe9r Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! - https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! - https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! - https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! - https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! - https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-title-69-dynasthir-review-5b77a7e19954

This week on the Rune Show, we showcase the progress of "Sunset Moon," highlighting how to piece a game together as it reaches its final development phase. Although it's just a demo, demos often represent a small part of the final product. Rune will demonstrate dialogue trees, in-game functions, and bug fixes on the fly.

In this episode, we venture into the jungle of monetization that is the gaming industry. Starting with the traditional games-as-products model reminiscent of the ’90s, we trace the evolution to expansions, downloadable content (DLC), and the controversial realm of microtransactions and loot boxes. Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:30 Episode Starts01:00 Introducing the Theme for the Episode; Monetization04:41 Issues With Modern-Day Monetization17:15 The Legitimate Side of Game Monetization and Its Future34:28 Loot Boxes38:37 Parallels to RuneScape — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly46:34 The Ethical Dilemma of Microtransactions01:01:23 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-67-monetization-bd166b5b2099

Welcome back to House of Games! In this episode, we try to answer the big questions; What is a game? Why do people make walking simulators? And lastly, What Remains of Elon Musk? Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:29 Introducing the Theme; What Is a Game?04:51 What Is a Game?58:14 Reading a Comment59:13 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! — https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! — https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! — https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! — https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano Read Otto’s blog about game development! — https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 Join the Discord server for Game Hub Umeå! — https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-66-what-is-a-game-7065e9f9d6ee

Welcome back to House of Games! This week we talk about updates to our games, what’s going on with Sunset Moon, what it takes to finalize a demo and a special reveal, don’t miss it! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:23 Update on Sunset Moon36:17 Midnight Nano Reveal42:18 Midnight Nano Gameplay52:05 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://sfwstudios.itch.io/midnight-nano - Play Midnight Nano on itch.io! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Games https://animalcrossing.nintendo.com/ — The homepage for Animal Crossing. https://www.storyofseasons.com/ — The homepage for the Harvest Moon franchise (Story of Seasons). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_(1998_video_game) — The Wikipedia page for Metal Gear Solid. https://persona.atlus.com/series/ — The homepage for the Persona franchise. https://insomniac.games/game/spider-man-ps4/ — The homepage for Marvel’s Spider-Man. https://www.stardewvalley.net/ — The homepage for Stardew Valley. Other Links https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/ — The IMDB page for Black Mirror. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-65-sunset-moon-update-midnight-nano-reveal-b3e181fd110e

This week on House of Games we talk about testing, types of tests, and what (not) to do to find bugs, tune in! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro01:01 How Rune Tests His Games07:49 Otto’s Experience as a Tester17:59 Unit Test26:48 Smoke Test33:22 Regression Test37:49 Why Don’t Programmers Find All the Bugs Themselves?42:59 Stress Test45:47 Structured Testing vs. Unstructured Testing52:36 Real-World Applications of Testing Skills56:34 Reading Comments58:58 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Other Links https://doom.com/ — The homepage for the Doom franchise. https://rome.ro/ — The homepage for John Romero. https://youtu.be/ILkT_HV9DVU?si=G5OGB4MRb1LFwzfM — Lecture on Software Testing by James Bach. https://unity.com/ — The homepage for Unity. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-64-testing-testing-92928a472492

I hope you are ready for a different type of game developer education; Ida Fontaine tells us all about “The Military School of Game Development”, a.k.a The Game Assembly! Put on your best camouflage and shine those boots as we dive into the newest episode of House of Games! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro01:14 Ida Fontaine Introduces Herself01:41 What Is the Game Assembly?03:16 What Does Ida Do at The Game Assembly?04:34 What Is Procedural Art?08:10 What Is Technical Art?08:54 A Day in the Life of a Student at The Game Assembly10:26 What Is Agile?13:55 What the Industry Think of The Game Assembly Method14:50 A Day in the Life… Continued24:08 The Application and Admission Process at The Game Assembly31:04 Exploring the Reasons for Joining the School34:35 Future Plans and the Vision for the Game Assembly38:47 The Game Assembly’s In-House Game Engine40:06 Does the Game Assembly Create Artistic Freedom or Conformity?47:52 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://thegameassembly.com/se/ansokan/ — Apply to The Game Assembly! (In Swedish) https://thegameassembly.com/se/nyheter/ansokningsomgang-2024/ — Visit The Game Assembly’s Open House! (In Swedish) https://thegameassembly.com/ — Learn more about The Game Assembly! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Tools for Making Games https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview — The homepage for Autodesk Maya. https://www.blender.org/ — The homepage for Blender. https://www.ea.com/frostbite — The homepage of the Frostbite Engine. https://www.sidefx.com/products/houdini/ — The homepage for Houdini. https://unity.com/ — The homepage for Unity. https://www.unrealengine.com/ — The homepage for Unreal Engine. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-63-tga-the-military-school-of-game-development-3103940c832e

Join us for a high-tech emotional rollercoaster as we are visited all the way from Germany to hear all about StickyStoneStudio's latest project; M.O.O.D.S! If you like sci-fi, robots, action, and explosions, click play and listen as our wonderful Guest Luca Lorenz guides us through this post-apocalyptic masterpiece! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro02:05 Getting to Know the Guest: Luzca from StickyStoneStudio02:39 Discussing StickyStoneStudio's Journey and Projects04:52 M.O.O.D.S: The Game Concept and Development12:38 M.O.O.D.S Review43:44 What Does a Day in Luca’s Work Life Look Like?48:15 Tips on Speaking to Publishers50:58 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2771200/MOODS_Prologue/ - Wishlist M.O.O.D.S.: Prologue on Steam! https://www.stickystonestudio.de/en/ - Visit StickyStoneStudio's homepage! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ - Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 - Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP - The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-62-m-o-o-d-s-ed3b6f66632d

Load ’em up and aim down below as we discuss the concept of “Shooting Yourself in the Foot”, or ruining the fun in games. Listen in as we talk about stories where we ruined our own fun and how you can stop players from doing the same in your game! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:55 Introducing the Theme for the Episode: Shooting Yourself in the Foot03:02 Open-World Games and Collectibles13:41 How Developers Are Shooting Themselves in the Foot14:28 Open-World Games (in Space) Are Overhyped and Over-Promised17:32 Sunset Moon Update19:48 Shooting Yourself in the Foot With Trophies25:29 Achievements in KnifeBoy29:45 The Antidote42:33 Why Open World Space Games Are Boring, Continued47:53 Points of No Return in Games52:23 Problems and Solutions for Card Games Inside Video Games58:00 How Developing Games Replaces Playing Games01:03:15 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. https://youtu.be/drUKDVWgeTo?si=6CRqqX1Rzn3VQbyK — Credits to Miketendo64 for the KnifeBoy gameplay background footage. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-61-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot-6d38587bc684

In this week’s episode of House of Games, Anthon Fynn-Williams is back to guide us through the Game Analytics Mastery Framework (GAMF), discuss AI and answer questions from a simpleton (Otto)! Stay tuned for great insights! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:43 Guest Introduction: Anthon Fynn-Williams02:29 The Timeline of Working With Analytics03:23 What Kind of Studios Does Anthon Work With?04:33 The Five Components of Game Analytics Strategy07:18 How Long Does the Analytics Process Take?09:30 How Much Effort Is Involved in Working With Analytics?10:59 Introducing the Game Analytics Mastery Framework (GAMF)14:03 The Start-Up Stage15:01 The Observer Stage15:48 Does Swayven Digital Also Teach How To Work With Analytics?17:11 Do You Have To Be a Data Scientist To Work With Analytics?18:40 The Inquisitor Stage20:00 At What Stage of Game Development Should You Start Working With Analytics?21:47 Quantitive Data vs. Qualitative Data25:40 How Much Time Do the Different GAMF Stages Take?30:25 The Oracle Sbtage32:04 The Pioneer Stage34:10 What is Predictive Analysis?38:42 What Types of Data Can Swayven Digital Analyze?40:45 Skill, Matchmaking, and Ranking Systems44:59 AI and Game Analytics50:34 Assessing Your Position in the GAMF Framework54:13 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthon-fynn-williams-42647842 — Connect with Anthon Fynn-Williams on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/company/swayvendigital/ — Follow Swayven Digital on LinkedIn! https://swayvendigital.com/ — Visit the Swayven Digital homepage! https://swayvendigital.com/how-to-assess-your-studios-data-maturity-the-game-analytics-mastery-framework-gamf/ — Read “How to Assess Your Studio’s Data Maturity: The Game Analytics Mastery Framework (GAMF)” by Anthon Fynn-Williams. https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Games https://www.bungie.net/7/en/destiny — The homepage for Destiny 2. https://www.counter-strike.net/ — The homepage for Counter-Strike. https://www.king.com/game/candycrush — The homepage for Candy Crush. https://www.callofduty.com/ — The homepage for the Call of Duty franchise. https://www.bungie.net/ — The homepage for Bungie. https://www.activision.com/ — The homepage for Activision. Analytics Tools https://firebase.google.com/ — The homepage for Google Firebase. https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/ — The homepage for Google Analytics. https://unity.com/products/unity-analytics — The homepage for Unity GameAnalytics. Other Links https://youtu.be/-pglxege-gU?si=vBsT-tMPuCaFfydy — “Skill, Matchmaking, and Ranking Systems Design” by Josh Menke. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/ — The IMDB page for Minority Report. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-60-anthon-fynn-williams-mastering-the-game-analytics-framework-a6e09e106a3e

In this episode, we dive head-first into the world of quests of all variants, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and share our thoughts on how they should be designed and implemented! Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro00:27 Introducing the Theme: Quests02:30 Rune’s Favorite Quests07:14 Otto’s Favorite Quests10:53 Good Quests: The Witcher 315:42 Card Mini-Games19:52 Bad Side Quests: Marvel’s Spider-Man23:28 Bad Side Quests: World of Warcraft24:42 Good Quests: RuneScape25:44 Designing Quests in Sunset Moon30:08 Derailing Into Human Psychology and Numbers34:35 How Rune Creates Quests44:14 RuneScape Quest System Continued52:55 Quests and Location01:07:46 Episode Outro Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-59-quests-e40972ae4b99

🎮🎙️ From consulting to programming, design, narrative, and more, tune in as we are joined by the talented Anna Högberg Jenelius 🌟, a jack of all trades in the games industry! 🕹️👾 Hear all about how she co-founded Link In Bar, her very own game studio, Valiant Game Studio 🎲🎨, and how she is now working on not only one but two games 🎉🎮 soon to be released! 🚀🌈 Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/1428090/KreatureKind/ - Wishlist KreatureKind on Steam! https://biosquare.earth/ - Visit the homepage for BioSquare! https://pendulaswing.com/ - Visit the homepage for Pendula Swing! https://store.steampowered.com/app/452120/Midvinter/ - Buy Midvinter on Steam! https://www.facebook.com/events/1347084562648581/ - Join us at Slaktkyrkan on February 2nd in Stockholm! https://www.linkinbar.com/ - Visit the homepage for Link In Bar! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ - Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 - Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP - The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro 00:56 Introducing Our Guest 01:52 How Anna Splits Her Time 03:48 Does It Feel Like Consulting Distracts From Your Own Projects? 05:01 How Did Anna Get Into the Games Industry? 06:16 How Link In Bar Started 09:52 What Is the Purpose of Link In Bar? 10:57 How Did Anna Start Her Own Business? 13:19 What Software Does Anna Use? 14:55 How Did Anna Learn Unity? 15:41 How Do You Get to the Finish Line With Your Projects? 20:04 Work-Life Balance 22:41 The Journey of Creating 'KreatureKind' 26:19 The Influence of Marketing and Budget on Game Development 31:29 Reaching Your Target Audience 35:55 How Do You Learn Marketing? 39:10 Surviving and Making It Big as an Indie Dev 41:15 Does a Game Have To Be Completely Unique To Succeed? 48:12 The Writing Process and Worldbuilding for Games 52:23 Gameplay Is King 58:29 Which Field Does Anna Like the Most in Game Development? 59:55 The Day in the Life of a Game Developer 01:02:35 Episode Outro Credit for background video of Pendula Swing gameplay goes to WiX GaminG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUejpSri_7U. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-58-valiant-game-studios-link-in-bar-b626813a2400

Join us as we untangle the spaghetti mess 🍝 of terms like Remasters 🎵, Remakes 🔄, Reboots 🔁, and Ports 🚢. What do they mean? How do they differ? Find out all this and more in this week’s episode of House of Games! 🏠🎮🔍💡 Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro 00:31 Introducing the Episode Topic 06:10 StarCraft: Remastered 16:38 Defining Reboots, Remakes, Remasters, and Ports 42:36 Remaking Your Own Games 46:45 Episode Outro Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-57-remasters-remakes-reboots-and-ports-4e3d4f685a04

In this episode of the House of Games 🏠🎮, we delve into the world of video game tutorials 📚, puzzles 🧩, and hints 💡, discussing different approaches and how they help or annoy the player. 🎮🗣️🤔 Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/house-of-games/message Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro 00:32 Episode Theme Introduction 01:14 Discussing Examples of Tutorials in Games 02:37 Valve 04:25 Red Colony Games 04:49 Xenoblade Chronicles 07:25 Final Fantasy 08:26 Fortnite 09:29 Website Tutorials 09:50 Legend of Zelda 10:59 Xenoblade Chronicles 11:44 Devil May Cry 4 13:14 Fallout 3 14:14 Assassin’s Creed 15:29 Sunset Moon 18:33 The Witness 22:37 Nintendo 23:35 Red Colony Games 24:41 Frustration Controls When Switching From One Game to Another 25:35 Battlefield 26:16 Playing Fortnite and Winning 27:12 Implementing Tutorials 28:13 How I Got My Mom to Play Through Plants vs. Zombies 31:09 Sunset Moon 34:08 Discussing Puzzles in Games 35:03 Bioshock Infinite & The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 37:16 God of War & Horizon Forbidden West 38:36 Discussing Hints in Games 39:32 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 41:48 Uncharted 44:02 Bioshock 44:19 Valve 45:23 Uncharted 47:28 Mad Max: Fury Road 48:02 Quake 48:36 Valve 49:43 Nintendo 50:19 Pikmin 50:54 Legend of Zelda 51:50 Episode Outro Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-56-tutorials-puzzles-fd4e642acdb3

Welcome to this very first episode of 2024 🎉, recorded just before the new year 🎆, we look back at the game development 🎮 we have accomplished in 2023 🚀, what lies ahead 🔮, and what we’ve learned along the way! 🛤️🤓 Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro 01:16 Sunset Moon: From Idea to Playable Demo 26:12 Midnight Nano, From Prototype to Prototype 57:13 Episode Outro Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-55-2023-in-review-b51b2df7b516

In this week’s episode 🎧, we talk with Nathaniel Marshall 🌟, a.k.a SpaceCastle 🏰, a video game music composer 🎵, and ask him everything from AI 🤖 to the challenges of composing music 🎼 to his work on the recent SEGA Genesis game 🕹️, IRENA: Genesis Metal Fury ⚡. Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games http://spacecastle.pro/ — Visit Nathaniel’s homepage! https://spacecastle.bandcamp.com/ — Listen to Nathaniel’s music on Bandcamp! https://www.instagram.com/truespacecastle/ — Follow @truespacecastle on Instagram! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro 01:01 Nathaniel Introduces Himself 05:47 Composing for the SEGA Genesis 08:47 Interpreting Game Developer Intention Into Music 11:48 How Much Inspiration Should You Take From Other Sources? 19:10 Music for Cutscenes and Trailers 23:17 Nathaniel’s Aspirations 25:31 Do You Need a Budget To Hire a Composer? 29:16 Are Some Music Genres More Expensive? 31:06 When Inspiration Strikes 36:20 At What Stage Does Music Come In? 38:44 Sound Effects 40:25 Music Software and AI Music 01:00:21 Episode Outro and Where To Find Nathaniel Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-54-nathaniel-marshall-spacecastle-41c5638e40a3

In this special one-year anniversary episode of House of Games 🎉🏠🎮, we are finally switching to video for the first time 📹✨! In the episode, we talk about how this podcast started 🎙️🌟, how we did it, and what the future looks like 🚀🔮. A big thank you 🙏🎊 to all of our guests and listeners, and stay tuned for a bright and visual future 🌈👀! Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/52-1-year-anniversary-and-switching-to-video-d150b89d37b5

In this special episode 🌟, we are proud to introduce our very first video guest 🎥; Anthon Fynn-Williams — Game Analytics Entrepreneur! 🎮💼 Join us as we dive into what game analytics are 📊, how they compare to player testing and Q&A 🕹️🔍, how to set it up 🛠️, how to leverage it to your advantage 🚀, and what the ethical implications are 🧐. Your Hosts and Guest, and Their Games https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0sBkbv_nSd-31I22_Gxm_w - Listen to Anthon's upcoming webinar on Jan 16, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthon-fynn-williams-42647842 — Connect with Anthon Fynn-Williams on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/company/swayvendigital/ — Follow Swayven Digital on LinkedIn! https://swayvendigital.com/ — Visit the Swayven Digital homepage! https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ — Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ — Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ — Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 — Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP — The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Chapters 00:00 Episode Intro01:09 Anthon Fynn-Williams Self Introduction03:17 Analytics 10109:40 What Are the Right Questions To Ask?13:39 Setting Up Analytics Tools in Your Project15:52 The Ethics and Implications of Data Collection26:46 Analytics, Game Genres, and Categories31:04 The Nitty-Gritty of Analytics46:38 Leveraging Analytics To Pitch Your Game50:23 Looking Towards the Future and Looking Back56:08 What Does Anthon Like To Play?01:00:13 Episode Outro and Where To Find Anthon Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-53-the-power-of-game-analytics-foundations-and-essentials-040681983e10

🎉 Welcome to this last episode 🎙️ before the grand 1-year anniversary 🥳 next week. This time, we discuss 🤔 everything that goes into naming your games 🎮, companies 🏢, and even islands! 🏝️ 🌟 Your Hosts and Their Games https://store.steampowered.com/app/2436180/Sunset_Moon/ - Wishlist Sunset Moon on Steam! https://www.play-asia.com/red-colony-trilogy/13/70fmjh - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/24596/Red_Colony_Uncensored_Threesome_Bundle/ - Buy the Red Colony trilogy on Steam! https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/knifeboy-rebooted-switch/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Switch! https://store.steampowered.com/app/889130/KnifeBoy_Rebooted/ - Buy KnifeBoy on Steam! https://discord.gg/zcv5CgzVPF - Join the Discord community for Sunset Moon! https://ottowretling.medium.com/list/game-development-427e99aefd01 - Read Otto’s blog about game development! https://discord.gg/mYM72SQ9CP - The discord server for Game Hub Umeå. Get all the links and the transcript for this episode right here: https://medium.com/@ottowretling/house-of-games-51-whats-in-a-name-efd170cff189