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 spectacle? What does it say about the game that it is a part of?Check out our twitter bio below to get involved in the conversation and let us know which weapons you are most drawn to and why.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is bought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Indie By Design Podcast

What's the best weapon in gaming?

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 what our respective responses are emotionally and in terms of pure entertainment.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is bought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Back 4 Blood

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 JRPGs?Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is bought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What We've Been Playing - September 2021

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 coming to it without experience and nostalgia gained from playing it in past years and how different playing styles can result in wildly different interpretations of the core design.Gaming: The Podcast is released every Tuesday and is bought to you by Indie By Design, creators of books and podcasts that delve into the history, culture and design of video games. A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Diablo 2 Resurrected - Is it relevant for new players?

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 death and time? How does the game react to your presence? How interest are the things it asks you to do?A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Deathloop: How has Arkane improved on Dishonored?

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 more attractive and worthy of intrigue than others?Games mentioned include Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Yakuza series, Resident Evil 1, Dead Space, Persona 5, Catherine, Final Fantasy 7, Ghost of Tsushima, NEO: The World Ends With You and more.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Best video game settings & locations

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, though, is it about them that gives them this incredible ability to court us and keep us for so long?Games and franchises mentioned in this episode include Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Witcher 3, Pokemon, Yakuza, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Baldur's Gate 3, Divinity Original Sin 2, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and more.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What makes a great RPG?

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 discussed. What games have you been playing? Let us know via our social channels, we are 'IndieByDesign' on everything.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What We've Been Playing - August 2021

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 creativity of its developers to provide us something wonderfully unique, insightful and rewarding.If you would like to learn more about the making of Psychonauts 2, its creators, its art and the guiding principles behind it, then make sure to check out 20 Double Fine Years - our all-encompassing book of everything Double Fine, from Psychonauts 1 and 2 to Grim Fandango and Day of the Tentacle Remastered and Brutal Legend to Broken Age. Everything is underpinned by complete and exclusive access to Double Fine's art archives and by 10s of hours of original interviews with Tim Schafer, Peter Chan, Scott Campbell and many more.20 Double Fine Years is available via DoubleFineBook.com.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Psychonauts 2: Behind the Brains

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 historical accuracy intersect?The episode begins with conversation on the newly released Humankind, a game which both John and Stace worked on in a consultancy capacity, and what it does differently to the genre-dominating Civilization series around historical accuracy. The show then moves on to historically accuracy across games in general, with games and franchises mentioned include Ghost of Tsushima, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Assassin's Creed, Humankind, Civilization, Call of Duty and Battlefield.A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Humankind: Should games be historically accurate?

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 IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tim Schafer on Psychonauts 2, creativity and writing for games

A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Returnal is a different kind of Triple-A. Is it fair?

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 work? Why does it make us feel a certain way?A video version of this podcast is available on YouTube.Visit us at IndieByDesign.netTwitter: @IndieByDesign See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Resident Evil Village is an action game. Does it work?

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 Resurrection, Demon's Souls Remake and more. ---Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net to check out our books! If you're looking for 20 Double Fine Years, our big book of all things Double Fine, then head straight to DOUBLEFINEBOOK.com to get your copy.Find us on Twitter @IndieByDesignA video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indiebydesignhttps://www.indiebydesign.net/podcastMusic by Ben Prunty. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Video game remake, remaster or re-imagining?

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 enjoying inflicting pain on the Sligs?---Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net to check out our books, including Oddworld: Abe's Origins! Find us on Twitter @IndieByDesignA video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indiebydesignhttps://www.indiebydesign.net/podcastMusic by Ben Prunty. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why is Oddworld: Soulstorm's world so special?

From the writers and creators of Independent By Design: Art & Stories of Indie Game Creation, the Indie By Design Podcast is the show that goes behind the scenes to explore the world of game design and game designers.

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Indie By Design Podcast

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