Stupid Little Games with Jess Pardue

Do you say data (dah-ta) or data (day-ta)?  This week, Jess sits down with Icelandic video game VC and long-time data nerd Binni Erlingsson! They talk about the many many (many!) games that Binni is playing right now, how Jess is plotting to become a BAFTA voting member, and what Binni looks for when choosing gaming companies for Behold Ventures to invest in.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game that looks at a few very suspect *not recommended* ratings for some of your favorite GOTY titles.  You can catch Binni on Linkedin and his Youtube page Binni's Retro, or here at Behold Ventures.  NOTE: Stupid Little Games is taking a stupid little break over the month of July, but don't worry, we'll be back in mid-August! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Stupid Little Games is part of the Stupid Little Podcast Network.

Hey Chat! Today Jess sits down with hilarious Twitch streamer, Youtuber, podcaster and certified Tamagotchi fanatic Joseph Birdsong, AKA Halfmoon Joe! They discuss Nancy Drew subculture, the realities of streaming for a living while (mostly) keeping your sanity, and the futility of trying to get through missions in Red Dead Redemption 2 while your unhinged (but amazing) chat actively spawns old maiden-type mobs.  Then during Joe's Stupid Little Game we find out which Tamagotchi is most likely to start a Fight Club! You can catch Halfmoon Joe on Twitch, YouTube, The Show with Sam and Joe, and Bluesky. Join the HMJ community, it's a hoot! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.      

On this week's very special episode, Audio Engineer Gabe has taken the reigns and interviews Jess for a change! Jess is completely comfortable with being on the other side of the microphone . . . yeah let's go with that.  They chat about Gabe's two rules for his Baldur's Gate 3 characters (Spoiler alert: one of them is being naked at all times), how Jess went from retail in SC to video games in NYC, and how operations management skills translate so well to being a good producer. They also wax poetic about making this very podcast. Then they play a Stupid Little Game all about cats in video games! (He's really perpetuating the "Jess is a crazy cat lady" stereotype. What did we expect from Jess' nemesis?) Great job hosting this week Gabe, but you still suck ass. You've gotta belv in youself. Special thanks to today's sponsor: Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Hey y'all, onboarding is hard... So this week Jess sits down with Xbox Principal User Researcher and onboarding expert Dr. Deborah Hendersen!  They talk about the psychology behind onboarding for all types of games, Dark Souls being a bastard (but that's a good thing!), and the importance of playtesting, playtesting, playtesting.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game about the psychology of playground games, and Jess learns about the concept of puppyguarding. (Spoiler alert it's the rated G version of teabagging...)  You can follow Deborah on LinkedIn or, if you are a game developer of any kind (indie to AAA) and would like to help shape the future of Xbox game development, you can sign up here! United States - International. _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.  

New episode alert!  This week Jess sits down with the amazing Natalie Asport - former Avalanche hard surface and weapons artist and current senior prop artist making badass Mortal Kombat assets at NetherRealm Studios!  She's also an adjunct professor at NYU Game Center teaching the next generation of 3D artists. They chat about predatory puzzle game ads on Instagram, having the discipline to actually hone your craft when you just wanna *play* games, plus the thrill (and stress!) of working on iconic characters. Then they play a Stupid Little Game that asks the question, "What if Freddie Kruegger was in a movie with Chun Li?" Follow Natalie! IG: @guitartist93, @natalieasportmusic; LinkedIn, or Bluesky: guitarist.bsky.social Follow Jess! Bluesky: @caketease.bsky.social; IG: @cake_tease, LinkedIn Shout out to today's sponsor: Bean Sidhe: the new narrative walking sim from Sealbee Games. Available now as pay-what-you-want on Itch.io with all proceeds going to trans and Palestinian mutual aid.  _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.

On this week's episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess welcomes former Bethesda and CCP games exec Jon Lander! They chat about the importance of networking (especially these days), crowd-surfing at Fanfest, and the quest to get the game industry to grow up, just a teeny little bit... Then during the Stupid Little Game they answer the question, "Would you rather be kidnapped by Bowser or Donkey kong?" Which would *you* choose? You can catch more from Jon on LinkedIn or his new venture Square Corners Consulting. Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or Spotify. It really helps out. Special thanks to today's sponsor: Outreach Program - the sophomore album by Brooklyn indie rock band Social Robot. Visit socialrobotmusic.com for more info! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.  

This week, Jess chats about her experience as a first-timer at GDC! Spoiler alert: It didn't go at all as originally planned... but it did include liquid choreography, so win-win? Then you'll hear a few Current Obsessions interviews with fellow game devs taken on-site. And finally, Jess gives a very specific (and not-at-all exhaustive) GDC Top 10 List! Special thanks to Zach Abramson from You Too Can Woo; Jon Sato from Studio Nuggies; Camron Gonzalez from Altarea Inc, Diane Wang, creator of the award-winning Silencer; and C.J. Kershner from Polyhedron Productions for telling us all about their work and their Current Obsessions.  Shout out to today's sponsor: Bean Sidhe: the new narrative walking sim from Sealbee Games. Available now as pay-what-you-want on Itch.io with all proceeds going to trans and Palestinian mutual aid.  _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.

This week, Jess sits down with Minecraft creative lead and DigiPen senior lecturer Orvar Halldorsson! They chat about taking gaming classes at 3AM, rotoscoping Liam Neeson's beard, and how Orvar's team enables Minecraft players to craft their own experiences. Then they play a Stupid Little Game about *totally* real Minecraft mods. Shout out to Butter Dog! Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or Spotify. It really helps out. Special thanks to today's sponsor: Bean Sidhe: the new narrative walking sim from Sealbee Games. Available now as pay-what-you-want on Itch.io with all proceeds going to trans and Palestinian mutual aid.  _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.

On today's very special episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess chats with true Brooklyn creative Mike Varley: video game producer, award-winning multi-media artist, and professional bagel eater!  They discuss the latent political power of gamers, the traits that can make you a successful producer, and how to walk 7000 miles without dying. Then they play a Stupid Little Game that asks how long it takes to walk from Kakariko Village to Hyrule Castle. Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or Spotify. It really helps out. Special thanks to today's sponsors: Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now! Outreach Program - the sophomore album by Brooklyn indie rock band Social Robot. Visit socialrobotmusic.com for more info! And you can check out some of Mike's amazing projects: HIghleyVarlet.com; EverythingisEverything.nyc, and the Total Clarity Podcast! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.

Hello friends old and new! Jess is back this week with Andre Coleman - a 10+ year Senior QA Engineer who has worked with EA, Experis, Microsoft, and Avalanche Studios! They discuss turning off "QA brain" when you're playing games for fun, what QA *actually* entails (spoiler alert: it's not just playing games all day), and Andre makes us all hungry talking about New Orleans cuisine.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Smarty Gras, all about Mardi Gras trivia. "Throw me something, Mister!" Note: There are some construction sounds that we couldn't 100% remove from the background (NYC will be NYC after all) so just pretend that there's a Tom & Jerry cartoon happening in the background. Special thanks to engineer/wizard Gabe for working so hard to make this episode sound nice. Special thanks to today's sponsors: Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now! Outreach Program - the sophomore album by Brooklyn indie rock band Social Robot. Visit socialrobotmusic.com for more info! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Hello friends old and new! We made it to February. Good job, us! We're back with an exciting new episode this week as Jess chats with veteran AAA Art Director Thomas Klingstrom! They discuss entering the game industry as a new artist, how to not stray from your vision during production, and why if you see a celebrity in New York, no you didn't. Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Video Game Sommelier! Special thanks to today's sponsor: Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now! _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Repost Alert! Jess was very smart and accidentally erased this episode a few weeks ago. Did we mention she's very smart? So we're reposting so that it can be discovered all over again! Please enjoy this banger from a few months back. See you next Tuesday with a brand new episode. _____________________ Hello friends old and new! On this week's episode, Jess chats with veteran hard-surface artist Scott Smalley - best known for the Just Cause, Red Dead Redemption, and Midnight Club series! They discuss making cars that don't look "off", why perfect is the enemy of shipped, and the fact that "PBR" is more than just Pabst Blue Ribbon. Then they play the stupidest Stupid Little Game yet, but Scott was a really good sport. _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Hello friends old and new!  On this week's episode, Jess sits down with Matthew Laurence; *nearly* 20 year games industry veteran formerly of Crowdstar, Rovio, Megazebra, Embark, and Ubisoft. Currently he's the Engagement and Narrative director (yes both!) at Avalanche studios. He's also a HUGE nerd (affectionate).  They chat about being a garbage human (and that's ok!), the importance of game economy design, and chasing gaming jobs all over the world. Then they play a Stupid Little Game - complete with theme song! - called "Where in the World is this Video Game Location?". Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or Spotify. It really helps out. Special thanks to today's sponsors: Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now! Outreach Program - the sophomore album by Brooklyn indie rock band Social Robot. Visit socialrobotmusic.com for more info! And you can check out Matthew's books: Freya & Cause and Effect Game Design _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Hello friends old and new!  This week Jess is joined by Alison Lacy, Chief Operating Officer of Radical Forge and Co-Chair of Liverpool GameChangers! They talk about video game towns, the importance of inter-studio coalition building, and the myth of the genius asshole.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game all about knitting in video games (and Weezer songs). _____________________ Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

Happy New Year Stupid Little Gamers! We're back with a banger this week as Jess sits down with Stefanía Guðrún Halldórsdóttir, current CEO of Avalanche Studios Group, former GM of CCP games (of Eve Online fame), and perhaps most importantly, accomplished Sportacus mustache artist! They chat about the best mobile games to disassociate to, the wonder and magic that is LazyTown, and a few lessons and challenges from a lifetime of being a woman in games. Then they play "Satt eða ósatt" a Stupid Little Game all about wild Icelandic facts. It's an "educational" podcast after all...  _____________________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

In this very special episode, Jess welcomes back Hamish Young (our first repeat offender!) for a comprehensive chat about The Game Awards from an insider game dev perspective. We go through every upcoming announcement (yup, ALL of 'em) and then give out a few Stupid Little Game Awards of our very own.  Is this a long episode? Yes.  Is this episode still shorter than the actual Game Awards? Also yes.  This is the last episode of the year (boo...) but don't worry, we'll be back on January 7 (yay!) for a whole new year of Stupid Little Games. Happy Holidays from Jess, Hamish, and the SLG crew! _____________________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!    

This week, Jess sits down with video game, TTRPG, and board game crowdfunding expert Anya Combs! They chat about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, sexism in the world of music (and games!), "riding the cow to get to the horse" when trying to fund your passion projects, and Anya's amazing gig as a professional punk saxophonist.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game called "Saxophoning it In!" _____________________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

On this week's episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess sits down with video game audio guru Jason Kanter! He's done sound design, audio direction, and voice direction on franchises such as League of Legends, Bioshock, and the Just Cause series.  They chat about games making you feel stupid, advice for sound designers old and new, and Jess says the word "squelching" way too many times.  Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Audio You Oughta Know. ____________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

On this week's episode, Jess sits down with Kay Purcell, Community Manager and games industry journalist extraordinaire. They talk about working at Deviant Art during the wild west days of the internet, making the Floss too cringe to continue (Thanks Kay!), and the irresistible pull of tabletop role-playing games.  Then they play a supersized Stupid Little Game where Jess GM's a whole-ass adventure for Kay! Can Pesto the plastic skeleton escape the Spirit Halloween and become a real meatbag? Tune in to find out! __________________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!  

On this episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess chats with Benjamin Jaekle -  narrative and game designer, indie game dev, and culinary hobbyist - about voluptuous pixels, the difficulty of writing jokes for video games, and working on your own game every day, even when life happens... Then they play a Stupid Little Game about cooking mechanics that Benja is way too good at.  If you're an industry veteran yearning to hear stories from fellow devs, new to the industry and looking to make your mark, or just someone who loves video games, then this is the show for you! __________________________ Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!

On our premiere episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess sits down with Hamish Young, former game director, producer, and programmer on franchises such as Burnout, Need for Speed, and Just Cause (just to name a few). They chat about the olden days of game dev, getting lost in Leipzig in a borrowed Porche, and Jess quizzes Hamish on *mostly* Need for Speed trivia.    If you're an industry veteran yearning to hear stories from fellow devs, or if you're new to the industry and looking to make your mark, this is the podcast for you!   Hello friends old and new! Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out! Each week, I (Jess Pardue) will sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We’ll talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past or present, and then we'll play a Stupid Little Game that I've written especially for each guest. Thanks so much for listening!