PODCAST · leisure
Ludus Novus
by Gregory Avery-Weir
Ludus Novus explores how games and other interactive art can be more than entertainment. Gregory Avery-Weir of Future Proof Games, game designer on "Majesty of Colors," "Ossuary," and "Exploit: Zero Day," produces short audio essays and creative pieces about the medium of digital and non-digital games.
Episodes
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Ludus Novus 030 – Transcendentalism, Gentrification, and the Procedural Rhetoric of Stardew Valley
What does Stardew Valley say about the world with the rules of its simulation, and how does it compare to another Transcendentalist game, Walden, a game? Transcript: Transcript for this episode If you like this episode, check out the other podcasts I’m involved in: Audacious Compassion, The…
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Ludus Novus 029 – The Goalless Path of Bernband
What do people actually mean when they say “walking simulator?” Bernband by Tom van den Boogaart doesn’t even seem to have a goal. But then why do you keep playing it? Bernband: https://gamejolt.com/games/bernband/34864 Bernband Remake Twitter: https://twitter.com/bernband Youtube (MP3 below):...
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Ludus Novus 028: Candyland: Game as Critical Lens
What is a “game?” It only matters in context. When we examine things as games to learn from them, what does that mean? Any useful definition of game used as a critical lens must encompass Soccer, Candy Land, Sim City, Doom, and Gone Home. But Candy Land doesn’t have any player choice. Is it just…
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Ludus Novus 027: Imposition of Order Results in Escalation of Disorder
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast: Prey 2017. The lie of a power fantasy is that power over others is something you deserve. Prey is a consequence fantasy: to take agency, you must incur risk. To escape a cage of lies, you have to open the door onto a world of new danger. … Continue...
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Ludus Novus 026: Reflection
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the election and GamerGate and how we can make a difference with games. I start with an excerpt from Austin Walker’s recent, amazing piece “A Note on Trump, Waypoint, and Why We Play.” I move on to discuss mirror neurons, Gone Home, my...
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Ludus Novus 025: Idle, Incremental
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss incremental games, also known as idle games or clickers. How did a formula that started as satirical jokes from people like Ian Bogost yield things like A Dark Room? Games discussed: Cow Clicker, Progress Quest, Candy Box, Cookie Clicker, A…
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Ludus Novus 024: Decision Point
This podcast is supported in part by my Patreon. You can help support it by pledging a monthly donation. In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the decisions we make as game designers and developers and how we are responsible for every aspect of the games we make. I touch on...
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Ludus Novus 023: Searching
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the search for the perfect game and the creation of universes. [display_podcast] When I search through my Steam library and I look for that game, that perfect game, the perfect experience that matches the mood that I am in right that moment…
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Ludus Novus 022: Countdown – A Game For Two Players
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I present a new game, "Countdown," in spoken word form. Trigger warning for self-injury.
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Ludus Novus 021: Tin Medals
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss achievements and how there are a lot more aspects to them than are immediately apparent. Games discussed: Alan Wake by Remedy Entertainment “Babies Dream of Dead Worlds” by Gregory Weir Perfect Cell by Mobigame The music for this episode is…
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Ludus Novus 020: Acceptable Losses
In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the basic minion summoning and equipment mechanics of Overlord, and how they both encourage tactical gameplay and maintain the characterization of the player character. The music for this episode is from “medieval evil” by Baal Anamelech and…
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Ludus Novus 019: False Narrativism: Awesome Zone
This podcast episode is about an unreleased game from 1990 that a guy showed me at GDC. It’s called Awesome Zone, and it was created by developer Theodore Alby for a company called KnowSoft over the course of a six-week nervous breakdown. The music for this episode is from “Three Goes On Forever”...
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Ludus Novus 018: Sequelitis
This podcast episode is about three games that should have been named Half-Life 3: Episode 1, Unreal Tournament 4, and Star Wars Dark Forces 3: Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast: Jedi Academy.
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Ludus Novus 017: The Rules of the Game
In this podcast episode, I present and discuss my definition of the word “game.” In short, a game is an interactive simulation that provides metrics which allow a user to track progress toward a goal. Listen on to hear why Microsoft Paint is a game and why winning and losing are really the same...
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Ludus Novus 016: False Narrativism: Oszustwo
This week’s episode is a special False Narrativism piece, discussing the obscure but visionary Polish game Oszustwo, or Incongruity. I can easily envision a world in which this game never existed, but fortunately we have access to the most technologically-advanced, creepiest, and hardest-to-play...
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Ludus Novus 015: Curse of Ludus Novus
What do we look for in digital game sequels, and why is it different than in other forms of media? Why don’t we see more sequels that give us more of the same good stuff? References: Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 directed by Sam Raimi Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the …...
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Ludus Novus 014: From Side to Side
The classic Super Mario Bros. Let’s take a look at its influence and its gameplay. References: Super Mario Bros. by Nintendo The Legend of Zelda by Nintendo Final Fantasy by Square Bubble Bobble by Taito Pac-Land by Namco Adventure Island by Hudson Soft Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Wrecking…
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Ludus Novus 013: Over the Next Hill
In this podcast, I talk about exploration games. Exploration games, as I categorize them, are games with an open world that offer an array of paths at any one time. They’re awesome because they appeal to players’ curiosity and completionism, and they help deal with player frustration. References:...
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Ludus Novus 012: Genre Fiction
In this podcast, I discuss digital games genres and how I think they’re silly. They’re arbitrary niches based on a few popular games, and using them to describe games limits the way we think about making and playing games. I discuss the evolution of our genre system, from Crawford in 1984 to the...
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Ludus Novus 011: Written in Blood
In this podcast, I discuss the player-author contract. An interactive work sets up a trust between the player and the work’s author. This takes the form of a contract which, when violated, can cause the player to reject the work. The Player-Author Contract The work can be played by the player....
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Ludus Novus 010: ELIZA Is Dead
Is the illusion of player agency as good as real player agency? Isn’t a video game just a simulated game master? Is the Chinese Room a good game? If the author is dead, what about the algorithm? The music for this episode is “The Acorns. Seedin Time in The Oak Room.” by Loveshadow, and is …...
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Ludus Novus 009: Extra Life
Death in games is usually a mistake. In these four indie games, it’s an intended part of the experience. The music for this episode is “Make You Cry” by Jonathan Coulton, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Passage by Jason Rohrer...
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Ludus Novus 008: State of the Art
60 years of video games. How are we doing? The music for this episode is “Brilliant Day (fourstones.net mix)” by fourstones and DeBenedictis, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Star Wars: Tie Fighter by Totally Games and published by...
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Ludus Novus 007: Who Am I?
Amnesia. Can anyone remember why it’s so common in interactive entertainment? The music for this episode is “Forgettin My Identity” by Jane His Wife, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Planescape: Torment by Black Isle Studios and…
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Ludus Novus 006: False Narrativism: Walking Away
The game Walking Away: In what ways does it succeed at what it attempts? The music for this episode is “Criminal” by Peter Toh, used with permission. References: Deus Ex by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive Grand Theft Auto III by Rockstar Games Postal 2 by Running With Scissors The…
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Ludus Novus 005: Level Cap
Length of works: is a given game most like a short story or a novel, and how can length affect content? References: Morrowind from Bethesda Softworks Jigsaw by Graham Nelson “Slouching Toward Bedlam” by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster Grim Fandango from LucasArts The Myst series from Cyan Worlds...
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Ludus Novus 004: Hurt Me Plenty
Difficulty and completeness: Why do games have to be hard, and how is finishing a game separate from completing it? The music for this episode is “Big Bad World One” by Jonathan Coulton, and is available under a cc by-nc-sa 2.5 license. This episode, unlike most, is available under a cc by-nc-sa...
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Ludus Novus 003: Not the Same Thing After All
Variable player experience: What do we mean by interaction, and how can two players have different experiences with the same work? The music for this episode is Enrique Granados’s “Spanish Dance n. 2” performed by Mario Mattioli, and is available under a cc by-nc 2.5 license. This is the first...
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Ludus Novus 002: Telling It Like It Is
The unreliable narrator: how do you use this technique when the narrator is usually the player character? The music for this episode is “Noite de Carnaval” by Code, and is available under a cc by-nc 2.5 license. References: The Silent Hill series from Konami Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem by...
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Ludus Novus Episode 001: Press Enter to Continue
Cutscenes: when are they appropriate, and when do they take away from the game? Correction: In the original version of this episode, I attribute Nothing But Mazes to Stephen Granade, but it is actually by Greg Boettcher. Stephen Granade wrote Child’s Play, which is also part of IntroComp 2006…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ludus Novus explores how games and other interactive art can be more than entertainment. Gregory Avery-Weir of Future Proof Games, game designer on "Majesty of Colors," "Ossuary," and "Exploit: Zero Day," produces short audio essays and creative pieces about the medium of digital and non-digital games.
HOSTED BY
Gregory Avery-Weir
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ludus Novus have?
Ludus Novus currently has 30 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ludus Novus about?
Ludus Novus explores how games and other interactive art can be more than entertainment. Gregory Avery-Weir of Future Proof Games, game designer on "Majesty of Colors," "Ossuary," and "Exploit: Zero Day," produces short audio essays and creative pieces about the medium of digital and non-digital...
How often does Ludus Novus release new episodes?
Ludus Novus has 30 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Ludus Novus?
You can listen to Ludus Novus 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 Ludus Novus?
Ludus Novus is created and hosted by Gregory Avery-Weir.
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