We interview Josh Sawyer, director of Pentiment. We focus on various aspects of the production of Pentiment: avoiding burnout, drawing from meticulously-researched historical material, dealing with religion (both as a nexus of temporal power and a daily spiritual presence in peoples lives), as well as covering gameplay and narrative aspects.
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Tim and Joel look at the delightful Unto the End, an action-adventure game made by the small team at 2 Ton Studios. It is a masterclass in minimalist game design – art, sound, narrative and gameplay mechanics. We give particular attention to the combat mechanics – which are some of the best we’ve encountered in…
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Having played some “deck-builder” games, Tim and Joel break down the mechanics and aesthetics of card games. We look primarily at Inscryption and Fights in Tight Spaces, and go on to discuss UI and combat strategy mechanics. Games mentioned: Inscryption Fights in tight places Banner Saga Into the Breach Nantucket Battle Brothers
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Tim and Joel take apart Hardspace: Shipbreaker, space-junking game with an anti-capitalist spirit. We examine the ways in which narrative is subtly threaded through gameplay. Games mentioned: Hardspace: Shipbreaker Norco Dead Space
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Tim gives his first impressions of the trailblazing Steam Deck – which brings PC computing power to the handheld gaming experience. Having sampled several games on the platform, he has settled on Workers and Resources: Soviet Republic (aka Soviet Concrete Simulator). What differentiates it from other city-builders? Games mentioned: Microsoft Flight Simulator Witcher 3 Battletech…
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In part two of our look at Norco we expand on some of the first episode’s observations, discussing specific plot points. CONTAINS SPOILERS! Mentioned: Musée des Beaux Arts (poem) – WH Auden
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Norco is a real achievement in video game storytelling – beautifully written and scored. It is a game we will both remember for a long time. In this episode we talk (spoiler-free) about the game and its relationship to the cyberpunk genre. Next week we go into greater depth, with spoilers. Games mentioned: Norco Monkey…
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Following last week’s music episode, this week we talk with our guests Phil Tucker and Damian Gibson about our more personal experiences with music in video games, from childlike glee to more complicated adult emotions. We discuss some of the earlier music-producing technologies, composition techniques, and memorable examples from the best of the medium. Games…
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A very special episode this week: friends of the show Phil Tucker and Damian Gibson – Joel’s former radio-show co-hosts – join us to talk about music in games. Damian is the host of the podcasts WrestleWolf and Agents of Narrative. Phil – who made the music for the pod – was a touring musician…
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Tim’s been reading Alexis Kennedy, which springboards this week’s titular discussion. Many games are enjoyable at the time of playing – which games are we glad to have played once we’ve put them down? And why? Games mentioned: Fallen London Sunken Sea Cultist Simulator Assassin’s Creed Far Cry Sagebrush Paratopic What Remains of Edith Finch…
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