Nice Games Club - a gamedev podcast!

Puzzle Systems (with Arvi "Hempuli" Teikari) [Nice Replay]

#373Puzzle SystemsInterview2024.11.15Releasing 2019's "Baba is You" after more than a decade of making puzzle games was a milestone for this week's guest, but it was also just the beginning of his design journey. Arvi "Hempuli" Teikari talks to your nice hosts about the balance between giving players freedom and constraining their expression, the pacing and sequencing of individual puzzles, what happens when a "cool" design annoys players, and more.Arvi's cats make a spirited apperance in the back half of the episode. Here they are basking in the Finnish sun.Puzzle SystemsGame DesignToolsMultimedia Fusion 2 - ClickteamClickteam Fusion 2.5 - ClickteamConstruct - Scirra LtdMP2MP2 Chowdren EngineBring the ice cube to the goal without exposing it to heat. - IncreparePuzzleScript - IncrepareCovechrome - Hempuli, itch.ioYou nice hosts previously discussed what happens to players who become developers in:"Numbers go up."Arvi "Hempuli" TeikariGuestExternal linkHempuli - social media linksHempuli on Itch.io

“That’s way too many pawns.” Communicating Difficulty; Remixed Play Modes [Nice Replay]

#368“That’s way too many pawns.”Roundtable2024.10.11This week, Ellen kicks things off with a chat about how games tell players, “This might be tough!” and how to make that fun and fair. Stephen and Mark jump in with their takes on what makes difficulty settings shine. Then, Mark thinks about the practice taking familiar game mechanics and twisting them into something fresh. Think pacifist runs or limited equipment modes. Why limit yourself to one way to play when you can remix the whole game? As always, there are some goofs in here, too.Unity 6 Preview is now available - Nancy Larue, UnityUnity is canceling the Runtime Fee - Matt Bromberg, UnityUnite Conference - UnityHasbro Game Night (for Switch)We Were Here Series - Total Mayhem Games, SteamLoopy: a tool for thinking in systems - Nicky CaseMachinations: Create digital twins for your systems, processes or economiesCommunicating Difficulty0:21:44Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignReally Bad ChessPuzzmo - Orta Therox & Zach GageAggro Crab Studio"Why Quitting Is Usually Worth It" - David Duchovny & Stephen Dubner, Freakonomics Radio NetworkRemixed Play Modes0:40:35Mark LaCroixGame DesignMetro Nexus - Noble Robot10 Most Unique Multiplayer Modes In Video Games - James Kennedy, The GamerExtra game modes - Universal Videogame ListPARKS Board Game - 59 Parks

Optimization (with Jarryd Huntley) [Nice Replay]

#366OptimizationInterview2024.09.26Entering the clubhouse this week is our the third Owl (employee of Owlchemy Labs) and first Peabody Award winner (as lead developer for We Are OFK), to talk about the "dos," "don'ts," and "good enoughs" of optimization.Cleveland video game designer Jarryd Huntley wins Peabody Award for ‘We Are OFK’ - Joey Morona, cleveland.comWe are OFK - Peabody AwardsCleveland Game Developers - LinktreeOptimizationHardwareProductionProgrammingIs Using LINQ in C# Bad for Performance? - James Vickers, The Startup For Vs Foreach In C# - Sagar Gavand, C# CornerJarryd HuntleyGuest

Nice Thinking: "Dialogue Through Goals" [Nice Replay]

#349Dialogue Through GoalsNice Thinking2024.05.29Stephen brings a half-baked thought into the clubhouse for this Nice Thinking episode: how can we improve dialogue systems? He's got some opinions, which Mark and Ellen immediately debunk, but it leads to some engaging conversation.Dialogue Through GoalsStephen McGregorGame DesignNarrative

"The lensing effect of the window." Theming vs. Aesthetics; Parries [Nice Replay]

#361"The lensing effect of the window."Roundtable2024.08.22It’s hot in the clubhouse and hot in Ellen’s greenhouse this week, so your hosts are eager to crunch through some discussion. Ellen introduces the concept of the MDA framework, and the differences between Theming and Aesthetics, and Stephen comes to a major conclusion about parrying.Theming vs. Aesthetics0:06:40Ellen Burns-JohnsonGame DesignThe MDA Framework - WikipediaEllen promised Dictionary.com definitions, so here you go:Aesthetics - Dictionary.comTheme - Dictionary.comWe talked about theming and aesthetics for a GameJam Game from a previous episodeThe Bike BoomAlien Isolation Themes explored n : Demystifying the Terror of Alien Isolation - Andy Robertson, WiredParries0:28:56Stephen McGregorGame DesignStephen's list of why parries are so popular: 1) A way to reward mastery or paying attention 2) Rewards participation 3) An appreciable way to consider mastering the game The different variations of Parrying 1) Just Dodges 2) Traditional Parrying (miss = block) 3) Dynamic Parrying release parrying 4) Alternate button (paper mario parrying) EVO Moment 37 - Wikipedia