Art & Craft

Though we tend to sit with video games for a short time, they often sit with us for a very long time afterward. On Art & Craft, join us as we uncover the deeply personal stories of some of the medium’s most thoughtful creators.

Navigating The Endless Desert With Team Alto 06/06/2018

Navigating The Endless Desert With Team Alto I thought we’d do something a little different this time around on Art & Craft. Rather than dive deep with with one guest, I’ve chosen to chat with two. Specifically, my colleagues and close friends Harry Nesbitt & Joe Grainger, who form the art and development team of our recently released game Alto’s Odyssey. In many ways, this episode is more than just an interview, but rather, a post-mortem in which we get a chance to honestly reflect on the game’s development, what we learned, and what comes ne /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6676098

Pulling Back the Curtain with Nick Ahrens 05/02/2018

Pulling Back the Curtain with Nick Ahrens When I first dug into the role of Producer, I assumed it was my job simply to remind people when tasks were due. Over time, I’ve come to see production much more as the discipline of removing the barriers that prevent people from doing their best work. Join me as I chat with Nick Ahrens, Executive Producer at LA-based Hidden Variable Studios, about bringing a game across the finish line, the state of modern games coverage, and the vices and virtues of vicarious ownership. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6548883

Rewriting the Rules with Zach Gage 04/25/2018

Rewriting the Rules with Zach Gage Zach Gage is one of the sharpest design minds creating play today. Whether it’s games like Spelltower, Flip Flop Solitaire, or Really Bad Chess, the things Zach makes brilliantly explore what you can do when you digitize the kind of broad, approachable play you’d find in a Sunday newspaper. Join us as we discuss the value in letting people learn creatively, the untapped possibilities in designing around gambling, and the way that making games can change who you are. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6521239

Finding Hidden Meaning with Jason Roberts 04/18/2018

Finding Hidden Meaning with Jason Roberts Gorogoa is the kind of brilliant game that's almost hard to believe exists even as you're experiencing it. A densely layered puzzle journey that takes place inside a hand-illustrated fantasy world. Join us as we sit down with its creator Jason Roberts, and peel back some of those layers. Together, we discuss the seven year journey to bring Gorogoa to life, the ebb & flow of creative motivation, and the secret feelings we all harbour to find and solve the puzzles all around us. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6495571

Knowing Your Worth with Bekah Saltsman 04/11/2018

Knowing Your Worth with Bekah Saltsman Bekah Saltsman is the co-founder and CEO of Finji, a self-described collaborative game studio working on titles like Overland, Tunic, and Night in the Woods. Join us as we talk with her about pushing back against the "I'm Just" impulse, the realities of being a mother in the games industry, and the importance of listening to the way players describe your games. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6469692

Hitting Your Stride with Danette Beatty 04/04/2018

Hitting Your Stride with Danette Beatty If delaying a podcast about games to ship one of your own isn't a tidy metaphor for development, then I don't what is. Welcome back to Art & Craft! /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6443834

Bring Your Own Narrative with Benjamin Rivers 01/31/2018

Bring Your Own Narrative with Benjamin Rivers "A player gives you 50% of what a game is." This is the philosophy underpinning how Benjamin Rivers approaches the things he makes. Rivers is the creator of deeply narrative-driven games like horror hit Home and sci-fi romance Alone With You. Join us as we talk with him about how making games can be like theatre, involving players in the stories you tell, and taking risks to pursue dream projects. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6209775

Creating for Kids with Jason Krogh 01/24/2018

Creating for Kids with Jason Krogh You can learn so much from how someone younger responds - or in some case doesn’t respond - to what they’re seeing, playing, or reading. Sago Mini, makers of digital & physical toys for children, are constantly thinking about how to craft better experiences for this audience. Join us as we talk with Sago CEO Jason Krogh about play testing games with kids, extending digital play into the real world, and making things you feel good about. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6185700

Stories And How We Tell Them with Joseph Humfrey 01/17/2018

Stories And How We Tell Them with Joseph Humfrey Inkle Studios is a team that crafts experiences which straddle the line between two mediums. These deep, narrative games use text as their vehicle, but still manage to take people on grand adventures through fantasy kingdoms and journeys across the world. Join us as we talk with Inkle's Art & Code Director Joseph Humfrey about the origins of the studio, the foundation of good interactive fiction, and the enduring value of careful craftsmanship. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6160250

Making Games That Listen With Nels Anderson 01/10/2018

Making Games That Listen With Nels Anderson Happy New Year everybody, and welcome to the first Art & Craft episode of 2018! On this week's episode, we sit down with Nels Anderson, the lead designer on critically acclaimed Mark of the Ninja, and designer on the narrative hit Firewatch. Together we discuss designing with rules instead of exceptions, the excitement of setting players loose in game worlds that truly listen, and the lessons we wish we'd taught ourselves earlier /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6135553

Cultivating What Matters With Joel McDonald 12/20/2017

Cultivating What Matters With Joel McDonald "Cultivate what matters. Cut away the rest." This is the slogan for developer Joel McDonald's breakout mobile game Prune, a title about carefully cutting away at trees to help them flourish. It's also the philosophy at the heart of Joel's own journey, from making big blockbuster titles to striking out on his own in search of something more personally fulfilling. Join us as we discuss making that leap, the need for more diversity in the industry, and the challenge of listening to the game you're making. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6074555

Reconciling Past And Future With Amir Rajan 12/13/2017

Reconciling Past And Future With Amir Rajan Amir Rajan is the creator of minimalist text-based gems like A Dark Room, The Ensign, and A Noble Circle. As someone who creates games often rooted in literature and filled with socially relevant themes, he's seen profound response to the things he creates — both positive and negative. Join us as we discuss dealing with interpretations of your work, creating lasting art in an ever-changing digital landscape, and reconciling your past with your creative future. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6041078

Capturing A Feeling With Margaret Robertson 12/06/2017

Capturing A Feeling With Margaret Robertson Perhaps the greatest compliment that a player can give about a game is that something about this digital experience made their real life better in some way. Imagine trying to achieve that with games almost entirely about colourful shapes. This is the daily mission for Margaret Robertson, Director of Game Design at "Dots." Join us as we talk about capturing a feeling through design, how to ethically ask your players for money, and - I can't believe I'm saying this - misbehaving geese. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/6016814

Valuing Intrinsic Worth With Anisa Sanusi 11/29/2017

Valuing Intrinsic Worth With Anisa Sanusi To make games is to connect with people in an intimate, meaningful way, often when they’re looking for relaxation or solace, or simply to escape. But it’s also a business ruled by market trends. Join us as we talk with UI & UX designer Anisa Sanusi about navigating this tension to create meaningful art that values everyone's most precious resource: time. Together, we dissect insidious "dark patterns" in design, discuss the true meaning of user experience, and confront our own imposter syndrome. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5991159

Embracing Constraints With Robert Curry 11/22/2017

Embracing Constraints With Robert Curry Mini Metro is a meditative transit simulator all about creating your own subway lines. Before it became a hit, though, its co-creator wasn't sure he'd ever make another game. Join us as we talk with Robert Curry, co-founder and Studio Manager at Dinosaur Polo Club. Together, we revisit his earliest years in the industry, and come away with lessons about failing forward, embracing constraints, and taking nothing for granted. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5971230

Standing Out In A Crowd With Nick Suttner 11/15/2017

Standing Out In A Crowd With Nick Suttner Before the term "indie" had the cachet it does now, Nick Suttner was one of the voices shining a light on small, artful games as a writer for EGM and 1UP. That passion led him into developer relations, where he worked for years helping creators bring their work to PlayStation & Oculus platforms. Join us as we talk with Nick about the art of the release strategy, the shifting landscape of games writing, and the allure of the mysterious. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5947684

Facing Death With Gabby DaRienzo 11/08/2017

Facing Death With Gabby DaRienzo Death is everywhere in video games, and nowhere at all. From falling down a hole in Super Mario Bros. to falling off a cliff in the Uncharted series, death is a tried and true mechanic. Much rarer is the attempt to reconcile with it. Join us as we talk with Gabby DaRienzo about her game A Mortician's Tale: a narrative experience that has you preparing bodies for their final goodbye. Together, we discuss death-positivity, reconciling with loss as you create games, and the value of short, premium experiences. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5923924

Beauty In Frustration With Benedict Fritz 11/01/2017

Beauty In Frustration With Benedict Fritz Not all games will resonate with all players, but what happens when you set about making something you know from the start might frustrate people? This was the challenge facing Benedict Fritz and the team making TumbleSeed. Join us as we talk with him about crafting with conviction, finding the right amount of friction, and the beauty of hard-fought mastery. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5899555

Making Games By Hand With Luke Whittaker 10/25/2017

Making Games By Hand With Luke Whittaker With so many digital tools used to create them, the term "hand-crafted" has become a marketing buzzword in the games industry. It's meant stir up nostalgia, and bring to mind images of tinkerers toiling away in a workshop. For Luke Whittaker and State of Play Games, though, there couldn't be a more fitting descriptor. Join us as we talk with him about bringing digital experiences to life with physical materials, and the exhilarating uncertainty of making art. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5874912

Connecting Through Design With Chris Bell 10/17/2017

Connecting Through Design With Chris Bell Journey and What Remains of Edith Finch are two very stirring games, both of which take different approaches to interaction and storytelling. Chris Bell was a designer on both of them. Join us as we chat with him about connecting powerfully with players, freeing yourself from the weight of expectations, and finding inspiration in the unlikeliest of places. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5850434

Beyond Monument Valley With Ken Wong 10/05/2017

Beyond Monument Valley With Ken Wong In our first episode of Art & Craft, we talk with Ken Wong, Lead Designer on Ustwo's mind-bending mobile hit Monument Valley, and founder of newly formed independent studio Mountains. Join Snowman - the creator's of Alto's Adventure - as we chat with Ken about the importance of discomfort in creating art, the misconceptions of "overnight success," the tenets of good design, and what it's like to leave something successful to strike out on your own. /episode/index/show/artandcraft/id/5811785

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