PODCAST · leisure
Gaming - The Podcast
by Indie By Design
The video game design and culture podcast from Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman. Every Tuesday. Your hosts are John Robertson and Stace Harman, long-time game design and narrative consultants and authors of books that celebrate the design, culture and greatness of videogames. Visit IndieByDesign.net to find out more about their books. You can follow on Twitter @IndieByDesign and join them on Discord to chat and mingle with other people like you who are interested in games and the culture around them. https://www.indiebydesign.net/podcast Theme music by Ben Prunty. <h
Episodes
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Neon White's sweet spot, a review
A speedrunner, first-person shooter crossed with a parkour platformer, Neon White is upon us and it's glorious. Join Stace and John as they detail and dissect their experience the game in a bid to understand what's going in Ben Esposito's latest video game offering and how he's hit Neon White's...
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After 200 hours, our Elden Ring review
After 200 hours in Elden Ring, our very own Stace Harman has some thoughts and we're ready to 'review' it. We cover the ups and the downs, the memorable bosses, the sense of engagement, worldbuilding, narrative design and more. Come and get involved in the conversation with us on Twitter...
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Are you playing as yourself when you play video games?
When playing a video game, how are you embodying the character onscreen? Are you playing as yourself and making decisions based on how you think you'd act in a given situation, or are you acting as the character as it's written for you? Maybe the answer is that it's a combination of both, or…
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Remaking Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
This week Stace and John are remaking Legacy of Kain: Soul Revear, 1999's PlayStation classic and a game that had so much to offer through its narrative, gameplay and aesthetic. Join us for in rediscovering Soul Reaver by designing how it could look and play today. Come and get involved in the...
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What getting the Platinum Trophy has taught me about Returnal
Returnal can be a difficult game to play, understand and unlock the Platinum Trophy for. Having achieved the latter, how is the context, interpretation and playing of the game altered? Join John Robertson and Stace Harman as chat returning to Returnal for the Ascension update and unlocking the...
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Late to the party w/ Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it's one of the most beloved, most respected and most reverred games of all time. For many it's comfortably the finest Star Wars game ever released. And yet, despite having worked in the games industry for over three decades collectively, it's a game that...
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Let's talk about Doki Doki Literature Club...
John and Stace are talking about Doki Doki Literature Club this week on Gaming: The Podcast. A seemingly 'normal' visual novel, Doki Doki has some surprises and ideas up its sleeve that make it something altogether more subversive and challenging than it initially communicates. Join us as we...
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Finding the joy in trashy games...
With the launch of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Stace and John ask themselves: Why do we enjoy trashy, B-movie style games? There are games that are crying out to be rejected and forgotten due to their inadequicies. And yet, in some cases, such games result in a memorable and...
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Is Elden Ring better for being easier?
Is Elden Ring the easiest of From Software's Soulsborne games? This is the question that has consumed many since Elden Ring's launch and it's a topic that is much deeper than it can seem on the surface. In this episode Stace and John discuss Elden Ring's difficulty, how it is delivered and...
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On Elden Ring's first 50 levels
John and Stace discuss their experiences of Elden Ring's first 50 levels and how the game presents itself in such a way as to offer challenge, spectacle and the opportunity to experiment in a way that feels both grand and intimate. Discussion covers class builds, exploration, how information is...
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How do you play Elden Ring?
Elden Ring is a game of choices. Your class, your weapons, your tactics, your story - every choice you make is met with a response that alters and defines your journey through the game. Stace and John discuss these choices and their outcomes and examine how they combine to create meaning for both...
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Is Horizon Forbidden West better than the original?
Coming into Horizon Forbidden West, Stace was a huge fan of the Horizon franchice and John was not. Both have now played Forbidden West and, predictably, have quite a lot to say about it. Does Horizon Forbidden West offer a superior experience if you are already a fan of the series? Can it win…
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Lost Ark and Sifu
Lost Ark and Sifu take top billing this week, meaning we've got your MMORPG and your roguelite bases covered. Stace and John discuss Lost Ark's launch, its scope and the pros and cons of its free-to-play funding model, before moving on to Sifu and figuring where it sits within an increasingly...
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Where are we with roguelikes and lites?
Does a game need persistent player upgrades in order to be fun and relevant? This is at the heart of the question around whether or not you prefer roguelikes or roguelites. Roguelikes include persistent upgrades, roguelikes do not. Join Stace and John as they discuss the relevant merits of each...
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Repetition in Video Games is Great
Repetition in video games, it seems to be a love hate kinda thing. Either you're smitted for the grind and the slow, steady progress or you hate the very thought or retreading the same ground over and over. On this episode of Gaming: The Podcast, John and Stace discuss how repetition in games is,...
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Why does Demon's Souls' opening work so well?
John and Stace discussing the opening hour(ish) of Demon's Souls: How does it work? Why does it work? What does it establish? How does it teach you? We recommend that you familiarise / refamiliarise with the opening of Demon's Souls before listening to this episode. Let us know your take on the...
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Video Game Resolutions 2022
John and Stace are back for 2022 with their resolutions for a new year in gaming, all which are likely to have been broken by March. Their picks range from attaining achievements in specific games to giving more attention to certain forms of games and from encorporating new forms of play to...
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Game of the Year 2021
John and Stace reveal their favourite games of the year. Will it be Deathloop or Loop Hero? Resident Evil Village or Psychonauts 2? Valheim or Death's Door? Full list of game of the year 2021 candidates: Psychonauts 2 Deathloop Resident Evil Village GTFO Death's Door Valheim Returnal Hitman 3…
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5 Essential Gaming Questions
This week on Gaming: The Podcast John and Stace answer five questions that are often asked of them on social media: What is your favourite series? Which is the series that you've played the most? Which series would you love to see make a return? Which is the series you'd like to play but haven't?...
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The Making of 20 Double Fine Years
This week on Gaming: The Podcast John and Stace are joined by designed Richard Cowan and Double Fine's James 'Spaff' Spafford to discuss the making of 20 Double Fine Years, our book celebrating the history, games, people and creativity of Double Fine Productions. We talk about the origins and...
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Death's Door: Peace Through Combat & Exploration
This week on Gaming: The Podcast John and Stace discuss the way in which Acid Nerve's Death's Door using its design of exploration and combat to create an atmosphere of peace in a harsh, unforgiving world. Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is bought to you by Indie By Design,...
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Metal Gear Solid 2's Tanker: The quintessential MGS sequence?
Its the final part of our Metal Gear Solid trilogy, in which John and Stace discuss the qualities, themes and design of Metal Gear Solid 2's opening Tanker sequence. Has there been a better opening to video game sequel? Points of discussion include expecation/ hype versus delivery, foreshadowing…
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Why do we love Metal Gear Solid's Shadow Moses facility?
Welcome to the second episode in Metal Gear Solid podcast trilogy. This week John and Stace focus on Metal Gear Solid 1's Shadow Moses facility location and how it has come to occupy such a revered place in the history of great video game settings. The space is a triumph of both level design and…
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The Genius of Metal Gear Solid's Opening
Where does Metal Gear Solid rank in the history of great video game opening sequences? This week John and Stace discuss the opening hour of the original Metal Gear Solid (1998), from the initial cut-scene to the Revolver Ocelot boss fight. The sequence is a masterclass of game design, narrative…
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What's the best weapon in gaming?
This week John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss what makes a great video game weapon and talk through some of their favourite examples. Does a great weapon need to make sense within the world it exists? Does it need to play a role in the narrative? Does it need to be unique? Should it involve...
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Back 4 Blood
This week on Gaming: The Podcast we're talking Back 4 Blood, Turtle Rock's spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss where it sits in relation to Left 4 Dead's legacy, how well it balances its carnage, the nature of its progression and deck building systems and...
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What We've Been Playing - September 2021
This month we're talking about two very different RPGs in New World and NEO: The World Ends With You. How does John think Amazon's brand new MMO, New World, is looking in its first week on full release? How exactly has NEO: The World Ends With You won over Stace, who is usually indifferent to...
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Diablo 2 Resurrected - Is it relevant for new players?
Diablo 2: Resurrected is the topic of discussion on this week's Gaming: The Podcast, with John coming to the game as a new player and Stace having a perspective gained from having played the original release in 2000. We discuss whether or not the game is relevant and meaningful for those players...
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Deathloop: How has Arkane improved on Dishonored?
How has Arkane Studios evolved their ideas and mechanics to make Deathloop a better game than Dishonored? In this week's Gaming: The Podcast John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss Arkane Studios' Deathloop; How does it combined stealth and action gameplay? What interesting things does it do with...
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Best video game settings & locations
On this episode of Gaming: The Podcast we discuss and put forward the best video game settings and locations. Are there any concepts for settings that make us more interested in a game even if we know nothing more about it? What is it about some settings and locations that make them immediately...
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What makes a great RPG?
In this episode of Gaming: The Podcast John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss what it is that they believe makes a great RPG. The very best roleplaying-games manage to grab and hold our attention for tens, if not hundreds, of hours and they stick with us for years after their credits roll. What,...
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What We've Been Playing - August 2021
Welcome to our monthly roundup of the games that have occupied the free time of Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman. This August has been a month of variety, with Baldur's Gate 3, Operation Tango, Call of Duty: Vanguard and That Dragon, Cancer taking prime position as games…
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Psychonauts 2: Behind the Brains
Psychonauts 2 is finally upon us after a 16 year wait. We've played it, we like it and we've written the book on it. Informed by our two years of working with Double Fine to create 20 Double Fine Years, we dedicate this episode of Gaming: The Podcast to Psychonauts 2 and how it embraces the...
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Humankind: Should games be historically accurate?
This week on Gaming: The Podcast John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss historical accuracy in games: Is it important? Does it change how we perceive certain games? What is the difference between accuracy and authenticity? What does 'historically accurate' even mean? Where do inclusivity and...
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Tim Schafer on Psychonauts 2, creativity and writing for games
Double Fine founder and video game industry legend Tim Schafer sits down with us to talk Psychonauts 2, creativity, writing and to look back at over 20 years as lead of a studio that has produced and given us so much. A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. Visit us at...
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Returnal is a different kind of Triple-A. Is it fair?
A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube. Visit us at IndieByDesign.net Twitter: @IndieByDesign Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Resident Evil Village is an action game. Does it work?
On this week's Gaming: The Podcast we delve into the design of Resident Evil Village. The eighth main entry in the Resident Evil franchise is very much an action horror over a survival, making it somewhat of a different proposition than it's predecessor. Does the change work? How does the change...
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Video game remake, remaster or re-imagining?
Video game remakes, remasters and re-imaginings. What are the differences, what is their value and why are they now so common? Come listen us to talk through these questions through the lens of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Resident 1, 2 and 3 Remakes, Catherine: Full Body, Ghosts 'n Goblins...
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Why is Oddworld: Soulstorm's world so special?
Oddworld: Soulstorm has finally arrived and we're talking about its themes, world building and characterisations. What makes its messages and questions so powerful? How does it use its different species and locations to ask tempt us into questions of philosophy, politics and ethics? Why does Abe...
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Why is Capcom so good at franchises?
Capcom has been on a hot streak it recent years, its franchises impressing almost across the board and offering both nostalgic and progressive design. This week on Gaming: The Podcast we discuss Capcom's success and look at how the company has firmly re-established itself as a top tier source of...
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Why are games so good at implied narrative?
This week we are talking about implicit and explicit narrative forms in video games. How are the two related, how are they separate and how, in particular, can the implicit side of a game's narrative cause within us some of the most powerful and memorable reactions? Games discussed include The…
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What makes Resident Evil great?
Resident Evil was first released on 22 March 1996. In honour of Resident Evil's 25th Anniversary we present you the final of our three episodes focused on the game's legacy, influence and design. We've already covered the game's Spencer Mansion location and its design and implementation of 'safe...
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Why is Resident Evil's mansion so great?
We're delving into the belly of the beast on this week's gaming the podcast as Stace Harman and myself, John Robertson, discuss and explore Resident Evil 1's mansion. What makes it so revered? How has it stood the test of time so well and how does its design impact everything that occurs in the...
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Do you have to like sports to like sports games?
Sports games are diverse and numerous, but do you have to like the sport in question to enjoy the game? Join John Robertson and Stace Harman on this week's Gaming: The Podcast as they delve into the question by exploring their own relationships with sports and sports games and how they interact…
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Why and how do videogame safe rooms work?
Safe Rooms are the topic of this week's Gaming: The Podcast, those things with the typewriters in in Resident Evil games. Specifically we're talking about how and why they work and how they are designed to inform and enhance those things that take place not only inside of their walls, but outside...
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What makes Catherine great?
Catherine (Atlus, 2011) celebrates its 10th anniversary this week, so what better time to revisit it and explore just what makes it such a memorable and great game? You play as Vincent, a guy in his 30s trying to navigate a path through his relationships and into his future. On the surface of it...
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How does Hades play after 400 hours?
What is it about some games that makes you never want to stop playing them? In this episode of Gaming: The Podcast, Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman discuss the experience, gameplay and rewards of Supergiant Games' Hades after 400 hours of play. How much new and unseen content...
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How is Dungeons & Dragons different to videogames?
Dungeons & Dragons and videogames are both 'games' goes the general understanding, but how are they inherently different to one another and what is it about their designs that cause us to interpret them in wildly disparate ways? Join Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman as they…
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Is Hitman III about repetition or freedom?
Hitman III is game about the environment and level design more than it is about the characters, it's a game about freedom of expression as well as repetitive trial and error. Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman explore the nature of this freedom/repetition dichotomy, how it informs...
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Why is Hideo Kojima so important?
Hideo Kojima is a designer that has pushed boundaries, provided us with new genres and creates games under the mantra that it is possible to bring the impossible to players. In this episode of Gaming: The Podcast we talk about his impact on the video game medium, the importance of strong themes…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The video game design and culture podcast from Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman. Every Tuesday.
Your hosts are John Robertson and Stace Harman, long-time game design and narrative consultants and authors of books that celebrate the design, culture and greatness of videogames.
Visit IndieByDesign.net to find out more about their books.
You can follow on Twitter @IndieByDesign and join them on Discord to chat and mingle with other people like you who are interested in games and the culture around them.
https://www.indiebydesign.net/podcast
Theme music by Ben Prunty.
<h
HOSTED BY
Indie By Design
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Gaming - The Podcast have?
Gaming - The Podcast currently has 90 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Gaming - The Podcast about?
The video game design and culture podcast from Indie By Design's John Robertson and Stace Harman. Every Tuesday. Your hosts are John Robertson and Stace Harman, long-time game design and narrative consultants and authors of books that celebrate the design, culture and greatness of videogames. Visit...
How often does Gaming - The Podcast release new episodes?
Gaming - The Podcast has 90 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Gaming - The Podcast?
You can listen to Gaming - The Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Gaming - The Podcast?
Gaming - The Podcast is created and hosted by Indie By Design.
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