This is a conversation with Danny Weinbaum from @EastshadeStudios, the creators of one of my favorite roleplaying games, Eastshade, currently working on a new game called "Songs of Glimmerwick". How do you make successful adventure game? What makes for good quests? How to write peaceful games and bring them to satisfying conlcusion? How to craft beautiful environments?

Links to my Guests

➤ On YouTube: @EastshadeStudios

➤ Eastshade on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/715560/Eastshade/

➤ Songs of Glimmerwick on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1706510/Songs_of_Glimmerwick/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:00 - Leaving Lyndow

3:30 - From AAA to indie

6:12 - Eastshade in a nutshell

8:52 - Designing a living world without combat

11:13 - Appeal vs fun; discovering the painting loop

15:43 - The “walking sim” problem

18:06 - Explainer trailers

19:50 - Grizzly Games team size and roles

21:20 - Market research, scraping Steam

27:32 - Eastshade sales and budget breakdown

28:55 - Full voice acting

31:18 - Environment art fundamentals

36:03 - Performance strategy

43:35 - Composing “hero shots”

44:40 - Unique landmarks, modular tilesets

49:41 - tiny open worlds; Glimmerwick’s world

51:11 - What makes a good quest

54:29 - Case study: the island mystery

56:03 - Glimmerwick’s budget, team, and timelines

57:35 - Glimmerwick’s origin and the “one captain per game” rule

59:49 - Positioning in the witchy/magic-school space

1:03:00 - Early reception: wishlists, betas

1:06:41 - From free camera to fixed

1:13:58 - Prototyping adventure games

1:20:02 - Locks and keys done right (Outer Wilds)

1:26:18 - Magic systems in Glimmerwick: spells, farming, potions

1:28:31 - Tech art pipeline and approach to writing

1:31:38 - Marketing; word of mouth

1:36:20 - Time system innovation: “event pucks”

1:40:57 - Why time makes worlds feel alive

1:43:21 - YouTube strategy: audience, impact, and shorts

1:49:12 - Turning illustrations into worlds

1:53:48 - Where to start with an adventure game

2:04:07 - Replacing combat: a merchant-driven adventure idea

2:11:06 - Glimmerwick status: wishlists, demo, conversion

2:12:22 - Show the verbs: improving the store page

2:16:37 - Marketing plans and development status

2:18:10 - Designing satisfying non-combat endings; Eastshade’s farewell

2:22:48 - Glimmerwick’s ending approach: reunion and nostalgia

2:25:26 - YouTube ROI and streamlining devlogs

2:31:10 - Thumbnails, hooks, and careful advice

2:32:42 - Game quality vs marketing; reading Steam’s middle class

2:34:18 - Game show idea, “friend slop,” trends vs art, and co-op

2:38:38 - Wrap-up

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a conversation with @zoroarts8930, a young solo dev who managed to land an indie hit with his co-op game Paddle Paddle Paddle. We talk about that success, how to potentially replicate it and also about the role of luck.

Links to my Guest

➤ YouTube Channel: @zoroarts8930

➤ Paddle Paddle Paddle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3570070/Paddle_Paddle_Paddle/

➤ Makis Adventure on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843110/Makis_Adventure/

➤ Rogue Jungle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2352850/Rogue_Jungle/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:09 - Path Into Game Dev

4:49 - Maki’s Adventure Postmortem

9:15 - Building a Level Editor

15:40 - From Rogue Jungle to Paddle Paddle

17:59 - 3-Hour Prototype and Viral Validation

20:21 - Two-Week Demo, Streamers, and Early Momentum

21:39 - Publisher Deal, IGN Feature, and Wishlist Velocity

24:00 - Shipping in 4 Months; Reviews and Netcode

25:21 - Graphics vs Gameplay: Stylized Jank

26:54 - Capsule Art and Voice-Over Trailer That Converted

28:46 - Playtesting and Bug-Free Launch

30:58 - Handling Hate and Prioritizing Fun

33:13 - Networking: Photon Fusion, Shared Boat, Prediction

39:24 - Passion vs Business: Making Games for a Living

41:57 - Balancing Heart and Market

48:45 - Future Plans: Small Games and a 3D Sequel

49:50 - Sales Momentum, Regions, and a Major Update

51:44 - Working With Assemble and Filtering Spam

54:20 - Pitching Devolver, Publisher vs Self-Funding

56:23 - Investing in Audio: Composer Plans, Budget, and Impact

59:28 - Influences: Pokémon OST; Learning From Others

01:07:24 - Can You Repeat a Hit?

01:11:14 - Luck: How Much It Matters and How to Reduce It

01:18:43 - Early Flops, Iteration, Strong Steam Pages, and Being First

01:22:25 - Launch Day: Hitting Publish, Friday Strategy, and Early Sales

01:27:03 - When the Right Game Markets Itself + Next Steps

01:31:20 - Rogue Jungle

01:39:52 - Outro

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a conversation with Stephen Huang from @isto_inc. They made games such as "Get to Work" and "Atrio: The Dark Wild", each game more successful than the last. Sptephen tells his story and shares his best advice on how to grow your game dev success long term.

Links to my Guests

➤ On YouTube: @isto_inc

➤ Get to Work on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2706170/Get_To_Work/

➤ Atrio: The Dark Wild on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1125390/Atrio_The_Dark_Wild/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

0:52 - From Microsoft to making the first game

2:49 - Disjoint’s gameplay

4:28 - Paid mobile launch flop

6:25 - $30k total; hard lessons and humility

10:45 - Starting Isto Inc; choosing automation-survival (Atrio)

13:50 - Why picking a good idea is so hard

15:29 - Atrio architecture (Zenject)

17:58 - COVID, starting the YouTube

19:56 - Early Access launch

21:54 - A lucky break: Atrioc and the Xbox exclusive deal

23:58 - 1.0 goes a bit better

25:04 - Atrio postmortem: hook too abstract

26:06 - Art/style didn’t signal the automation audience

27:32 - "We didn’t validate early" (and why that hurt)

30:06 - Learnings for next time

34:36 - From Atrio to Get To Work; the key‑remapping fiasco

36:42 - Building Isto Core: reusable systems

40:35 - Pitching Atrioc: data, strategy, and a rage game idea

44:49 - How they got Atrioc to care (Reddit bits, rapport)

46:43 - Standing out in easy‑to‑make genres

49:44 - Get To Work explained: a flowy rage platformer

54:32 - Story focus and landing CDawgVA

01:02:06 - Skipping Next Fest for streamer momentum

01:05:55 - Wishlists via YouTube and what streamers value

01:12:00 - Launch plan: hold Atrioc; run a speedrun contest

01:14:36 - Designing the Hat sequence for streams

01:18:37 - Many paths to success; regional surprises (KR/China)

01:21:11 - 3‑part postmortem framework

01:25:57 - YouTube vs Steam

01:27:16 - Engineering the speedrun comp—and the viral video

01:32:33 - YouTube as insurance; leveraging big videos for sales

01:35:55 - Build your channel vs courting creators

01:47:08 - Short‑form vs long‑form videos

01:48:34 - The “Idea Gap”: from “cool” to “I must play this”

01:50:52 - Pivoting the next game; streamers as partners

01:54:25 - The four most streamable genres

01:58:58 - Next up: online co‑op multiplayer

02:01:17 - Think long‑term; add one big skill per game

02:05:28 - Closing

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a conversation with Julian Colbus from DigiTales Interactive, the creators of Lacuna and Between Horizons. We talk about regrets from their last game, how to succeed with story based games and how to make it as an indie game developer.

Links to my Guest

➤ Lacua on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1364100/Lacuna__A_SciFi_Noir_Adventure/

➤ Between Horizons on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1921980/Between_Horizons__A_SciFi_Detective_Adventure/

➤ The Great Sassanelli on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2195490/The_Great_Sassanelli__An_Interactive_Novel/

➤ Unburied Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1911240994/unburied?lang=de

➤ DigiTales Interactive (More Links): https://digitales.games/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:01 - Building Without Marketability in Mind

2:04 - Making “Detective” Readable at a Glance

3:33 - The Market Shift: 2021 vs 2024

4:24 - 3D vs 2D: Cost, Detail, and Personality

6:20 - Modernizing Point-and-Click

7:57 - Growing Team and Scope (and Losing Creative Control)

12:23 - Elegance Over Features

14:24 - Lessons from Cheap Horror Hits: Nail the Hook, Skip the Fluff

15:11 - The Essence of Detective Games

17:38 - Solution Inputs That Resist Guessing

20:33 - “Choices Matter”

24:16 - Semi-Open World Detectives: Combinatorial Explosion

26:46 - What Makes a Good Story in Games

28:00 - Selling Story Games via Setting; Be Oddly Specific

34:05 - Design by Committee vs Strong Vision

36:57 - Studio History and Team Scaling

39:49 - Becoming a Publisher

41:26 - New Business Plan: Smaller, Cheaper, More Frequent Releases

42:18 - Stepping into Survival Horror (and Why)

43:30 - Survival Horror’s Proven Formula and Feel

45:20 - Disempowerment and the Illusion of Scarcity

49:45 - Next Detective Game

52:09 - The Second-Game Slump: Causes and Fixes

56:45 - Don’t Make Direct Sequels as an Indie (Most of the Time)

01:00:50 - Steam Cross-Promotion: “From the Creators of…”, Bundles, Discounts

01:03:59 - Writing Better Dialogue

01:10:27 - Make the Story the Gameplay

01:14:57 - Hidden Mysteries and Multiple Active Cases

01:17:53 - Open-Ended Inputs vs Bespoke Reactions

01:21:48 - Dialogue System: Custom Tool, Booleans, and Logs

01:29:40 - Make It Obvious: Premise, Key Art, and Core Loop at a Glance

01:31:44 - Descriptive Trailers and Demos That Filter Buyers

01:36:45 - Screenshot Best Practices

01:39:22 - Design for Trailer Moments

01:41:36 - Budgets and Team Sizes: Why Mid-Size Struggles

01:44:53 - Indie Math: Real Costs and Platform Cuts

01:49:29 - Scope Discipline: Focus Saves Money and Quality

01:50:25 - Team Composition: Be Selective

01:52:31 - Work with Equals or Better; Pragmatic Dev Beats Over-Engineering

01:55:42 - Know What’s Possible (and Where AI Helps)

01:59:21 - Marketing in the For-You Era: Authenticity and Hooks

02:06:09 - Creator Outreach That Works (and Tools to Do It)

02:11:30 - Wrap-Up and Plugs: The Great Sassanelli, Socials, Unburied

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a conversation with Kathrin Radtke from Spellgarden Games, the tiny development team behind Sticky Business and Ritual of Raven. We talk about making successful cozy games, scope, marketing and more.

Links to my Guests

➤ Sticky Business on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303350/Sticky_Business/

➤ Ritual of Raven on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066520/Ritual_of_Raven/

➤ Spellgarden Website (Social Media links etc): https://spellgardengames.com/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

0:41 - Why People Play Cozy Games

2:28 - Cozy Games on Steam: Size and Growth

5:06 - What Makes a Game Cozy?

7:08 - Spellgarden Origins and Sticky Business in 5 Months

10:20 - From Idea Board to 3‑Week Prototype, TikTok Devlogs

12:38 - Finding Ideas in Trends, Hobbies, and ASMR

14:09 - Designing Stickers with Stickers + Low‑Pressure Creativity

17:12 - Steam Page, Viral Tweet, and Finding a Publisher

19:51 - TikTok Strategy: Language, Algorithm, Results

22:36 - Turning Social Posts into Wishlists

24:31 - Why Simple Concepts Market Better

27:05 - Smaller, Clearer Projects and When to Share

30:05 - Will Spellgarden Stay in Cozy Games?

32:05 - Why “Work” Simulators Feel Relaxing

34:13 - Designing for Intrinsic Motivation (Not Scores)

40:01 - Ritual of the Raven: Automation and Coding

43:52 - From Concept to a Big Narrative

45:28 - Managing Scope Under Publisher Milestones

47:31 - Progression Across Regions, Tutorials, and Pacing

49:20 - Marketability vs Vision and What’s Next

51:11 - Crafting Ritual’s Art Style with One Artist

52:54 - The Pacing Problem in Automation Games

55:20 - Making Designs Click and the Cost of Lock‑In

59:46 - Advice for Aspiring Cozy Devs and Testing Interest

01:03:35 - How They Playtest Cozy and Creative Games

01:07:44 - Marketing Cozy Games: Platforms, Demos, Events

01:11:04 - Sticky Business DLCs: Why, How, and Backlash

01:17:29 - DLCs vs Early Access and Player Expectations

01:22:51 - Post-Launch Support and Cozy Recommendations

01:26:26 - Outro

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a conversation with Timo Falcke and Zwi Zausch, two of the devs at Toukana Interactive, the developers of Dorfromantik and Star Birds. This is a game dev success story with some theory crafting about how to potentially reproduce an outcome like this.

Links to my Guests

➤ Star Birds on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2719750/Star_Birds/

➤ Dorfromantik on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1455840/Dorfromantik/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

0:35 - Meet Toukana Interactive & Dorfromantik

1:28 - Founding the studio and shipping Dorfromantik in a year

4:17 - Early Access launch: Next Fest momentum, streamers, and the Steam algorithm

7:46 - The itch prototype and Ludum Dare origins

8:27 - Expectations vs reality on launch day

11:45 - Prototyping many ideas and choosing Dorfromantik

16:49 - Building a unique look: trees, outlines, and shader tricks

18:44 - Visual inspirations and tips for finding your art style

21:31 - Iterating the rules: rotation, edges, lakes, and quests

27:15 - Performance war stories: PC instancing to Switch optimization

38:07 - Early Access strategy, 1.0 launch, and getting featured

41:50 - How Steam featuring works (Steam reps and slots)

43:15 - Hiring after success and staying small by design

45:52 - Turning Dorfromantik into an award-winning board game

53:37 - Why the board game works (campaign, accessibility, depth)

57:48 - Partnering with Kurzgesagt and choosing Star Birds

01:06:20 - Who did what: Toukana vs Kurzgesagt on Star Birds

01:09:41 - Tech art & pipeline: 3D that looks like 2D, procedural asteroids

01:14:13 - Designing systems: logistics across asteroids and big economies

01:16:07 - No fail-state: keeping it chill and puzzle-like

01:19:13 - Scoring without time pressure (and the most hated achievement)

01:23:39 - Why Early Access again and the plan for Star Birds

01:26:44 - Community feedback, roadmap, and lots more content

01:29:53 - Moving launch for Silksong and the pricing debate

01:34:10 - Can success be reproduced? Sequel vs new IP

01:36:55 - What gets attention now: polish vs recognizable "trash"

01:39:00 - Two big levers: Steam visibility vs content creators

01:40:56 - Familiarity vs originality and making it readable at a glance

01:45:40 - Marketing realities, scope choice, and staying a lean team

01:49:49 - Our workflow: prototype, evaluate, refine, decide

01:54:04 - Appeal prototyping vs gameplay prototyping

01:55:54 - Appeal, player fantasy, define intrigue early

01:58:03 - Star Birds' appeal vs Kurzgesagt's high-tension vibe

02:01:03 - Narrative vs systems, constraints, and "polish what matters"

02:04:40 - Wrap-up

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Cory Darby, a indie games strategist / profissional min-maxer and the co-creator of Click & Conquer, a game that with just 400 hours of work managed to turn over 100K in profits. We talk about how to optimize your Steam launch for maximum visibility and where the indie games industry on Steam is going.

Links to my Guest

➤ No cost 30-Minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/ckdarby/biz-game-dev

➤ Cory on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThornityCo

➤ Click and Conquer on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3267900/Click_and_Conquer/

➤ Analytics page Cory mentioned for Steam Stats: https://www.gginsights.io/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:11 - The 72-hour test: what the dataset shows

3:35 - Conversion is king: Steam’s fair-shot test and early thresholds

6:56 - Designing for conversion: page, trailer, and pricing

8:41 - Launch discounts and price psychology (40% for two weeks)

10:35 - The controversial post-launch price drop and “is it sleazy?”

13:38 - Pricing pitfalls: overpricing kills and you can’t A/B test

15:39 - Are prices trending down? Incremental economics

18:32 - When deep discounts backfire on perception

20:16 - Tags as targeting: choose the right seed audience

24:51 - Appeal and instant connection vs “just make a good game”

25:37 - Copy what works, add a twist (Cory’s approach)

28:47 - Picking a war theme via asset packs—and the backlash

31:57 - Mechanics and pacing by the numbers (Click & Conquer)

34:33 - Foot-pedal playtesting and auto-edited feedback

37:54 - Scaling with collaborations and purpose-built tools

44:58 - Riding trend waves: incrementals, co-op, and shop sims

48:42 - Co-op lineage (Lethal Company, etc.) and theme waves like trains

50:49 - Plotting by tags and where the data comes from

52:27 - Don’t be late: spot waves early (Gavin’s advice)

54:31 - Trend-chasing vs passion; blending genres and risk

58:28 - Building a 400-hour game: roles, hours, and timeline

01:00:37 - Why short projects lower risk and speed learning

01:04:31 - After the wave: adjacent bets and using reviews/AI

01:09:11 - Find genres with volume but mixed reviews; “Professional min/maxer”

01:13:55 - AI is already changing dev: agents as co-devs and toolbuilding

01:19:59 - Agents that use computers and play games; the inequality gap

01:29:04 - The upside: accessibility and the internet analogy

01:31:50 - Hot take: game dev shifts business-first; why AAA struggles

01:35:07 - A new model: many small AI-boosted teams (and acquisitions)

01:37:33 - Jonas’s stance: avoid AI art, use AI for code/tools; playtesting bottleneck

01:41:19 - AI as sounding board: design aid (color theory) and more

01:43:16 - “Soulless” vs soul: min-maxing as a creative pursuit

01:44:15 - Wrap-up

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Tyler F. Cloutier, co-founder and head of Clockwork Labs, who are building their MMO, Bitcraft Online, entirely in a database. They are making this database available for other developers under the name SpacetimeDB. It's a real time relational database that promises to massively simplify infrastructure required for both applications and games alike, almost like an operating system for the cloud. I'm very on board with their vision. Can it actually hold up? Let's have a look.

Links to my Guest

➤ SpacetimeDB: https://spacetimedb.com/

➤ Bitcraft Online: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3454650/BitCraft_Online/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:27 - What is SpacetimeDB?

7:24 - How SpacetimeDB is different

11:06 - Best use cases and limitations

15:55 - How it works: modules, reducers, transactions

19:34 - Publishing and hot-swapping server code

20:21 - Client model: reducers for writes; live queries and permissions

25:52 - Scaling and memory

28:40 - Per-match databases and the actor model

31:21 - Performance: reducer duration, locks vs MVCC, and offloading work

37:48 - Starter projects and analytics; community dashboards

41:12 - Authentication: OpenID Connect, Spacetime Auth, and Steam

46:07 - Platform philosophy: generalized vs specialized

51:25 - UGC and user-generated logic

55:05 - Origins, team structure, and optimization milestones

57:27 - Full history/time travel and postmortems

59:14 - Scaling by game type; video calling experiment and event tables

01:02:42 - Make it easy & LLM-friendly

01:07:48 - Comparing Firebase/Supabase/Vercel; why we built it

01:12:09 - Scheduled reducers, tickless servers, and timers as tables

01:13:57 - Matchmaking with SpacetimeDB (Underdogs VR, Postgres wire) and libraries

01:17:58 - Asynchronous multiplayer and efficiency

01:21:53 - Business model: self-hosting, Main Cloud free tier, licensing

01:26:48 - Avoiding vendor lock-in (SpatialOS lesson)

01:27:28 - BitCraft origins and vision

01:32:11 - Learning from veteran reviews; OSRS vs WoW philosophy

01:36:12 - Building costs, biggest design challenges, and live updates

01:39:43 - Core identity: simulating civilization, community, and expectations

01:42:35 - Outro

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Phiomena Schwab, co-founder/CEO of Stray Fawn Studio, the creators of The Wandering Village, Dungeon Clawler, Nimbatus and Niche. She's the head of Stray Fawn's new publishing branch and she co-founded the Swiss Game Hub, a co-working space for game developers. We talk about what it takes to make successful games, community building, early access, publishing and women in game dev.

Links to my Guest

➤ Bootcamp games: Check out the games and leave a comment https://swissgamehub.itch.io/

➤ More learnings from Stray Fawn: https://strayfawnstudio.com/insights/

➤ Website: https://strayfawnstudio.com/

➤ X: https://x.com/PhilomenaSchwab

➤ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/philomenaschwab.bsky.social

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

1:17 - Game vs. Marketing

3:06 - Early Hits and Studio Formation

5:14 - From Hobby Team to Studio

6:43 - Community Building & Kickstarter

9:31 - EA to 1.0 With Community Push

11:16 - Finding First Fans & Adjacent Communities

15:55 - The Wandering Village: Fantasy-First

19:15 - Rapid Prototyping: Art vs. Gameplay

23:32 - Team Alignment & Genre Conventions

26:19 - Meaningful “Evil” Choices In Games

31:25 - Why Build in Public

32:23 - Kickstarter: When to Run or Skip

32:29 - 1.0 Bet: Localization, Delays & Beta Iteration

35:27 - Shifting to Small Bets

36:37 - Small-Project Playbook & Premium Mobile Sim-Ship

40:10 - Publishing Arm: Why & What Failed

42:18 - Publishing Is Mostly the Game

45:00 - Publishers, Funding & Deals

46:17 - Selecting Games & Avoiding Pitch Limbo

53:05 - What Publishers Evaluate: Demo, Proof & Better vs. Different

57:35 - Choosing Genres With Demand

59:50 - Bootcamp Validation & Itch Metrics

01:02:20 - Swiss Game Hub: 140-Dev Community

01:05:17 - Dungeon Clawler: “Claw Machine” Origin & Breakout

01:11:04 - Clones, Stolen Assets & Mobile Pitfalls

01:13:29 - What’s Next: Small Games, Story & Studio Votes

01:15:55 - Small Teams Fit; Brand Risk

01:18:49 - YouTube: Niche Passion vs. Mass Appeal

01:21:57 - Talking to Players & Moderation

01:24:06 - Own Your Audience: Newsletters, Discord & Events

01:28:33 - Swiss Game Dev Association & Many Hats

01:29:34 - Many Hats & Mental Load

01:33:19 - Wandering Village 1.0: Wishlist Conversion & Discounts

01:34:20 - Early Access vs. 1.0: Outcomes & Timing

01:35:38 - Why 1.0 Underperformed: Consoles, Genre & EA Length

01:39:27 - Post-Launch Priorities: Updates, Stretch Goals & Roadmaps

01:41:07 - Gender Balance, Role Models & Hiring

01:45:06 - Message to Future Women Game Devs

01:45:43 - Outro

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ

This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Erick Passos from Photon Engine (Exit Games Inc.), a company that provides networking solutions and server architecture for online multiplayer games. I try to understand more about how how online multiplayer works in general and in particular how to use Photon's Quantum and Fusion to develop online games faster.

Links to my Guest

➤ Photon Engine: https://www.photonengine.com/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

0:17 - The 3 Layers of Multiplayer Tech

4:56 - Photon’s Products Across the Stack

6:54 - Transport Layers & Steam Relay Limitations

8:02 - Fusion vs Quantum + Designing for the Envelope

10:36 - Start from the Top: When Transport‑Only Makes Sense (MMOs, Server Logic)

15:53 - From PUN to Modern Netcode + Notable Games

21:21 - State Replication vs Determinism Explained

24:49 - Why Shooters Prefer Client‑Server (Lag Comp, Interest Mgmt)

26:11 - Server Build, Shared Mode, and Architecture Clarified

28:04 - Anti‑Cheat in Quantum: Replays, Spectators, Server Sim

31:49 - Grow Gradually: From Zero Servers to Full Validation

34:38 - Under the Hood: Predict‑Rollback, Physics, ECS, AI

38:32 - No Ring Buffer: Constant‑Time Rollbacks

45:28 - Testing Online, Tooling, and Community

46:15 - When to Use Fusion Instead of Quantum

50:29 - Performance: Verified vs Predicted, Clamps & Culling

52:34 - Bots, Matchmaking Math, and AI Costs

56:49 - AI Design: Verified‑Only Planning + Operational Prediction

58:02 - Verified‑Only Code Paths & Performance Targets

01:01:48 - Time Slicing AI for Stability

01:02:52 - RTS in Quantum: Flow Fields, Culling, and Use Cases

01:09:19 - Lockstep vs Prediction: Why He Avoids Lockstep

01:12:04 - Handling Rollback Spikes with Scheduling Tricks

01:13:05 - Auto‑Battlers: Verified‑Only + Snapshot Interpolation

01:15:29 - Hidden Info & Simultaneous Decisions; Server‑Gated Commands

01:21:35 - Using Quantum Offline? Licensing & Terms

01:25:03 - Determinism, ECS, and Quantum’s Hybrid Tables

01:29:22 - Could There Be a Deterministic Engine Built on Quantum?

01:31:08 - Cross‑Engine Experiments & Engine Integrations

01:35:42 - Open Worlds: Fusion Player‑Hosted vs Quantum

01:37:10 - Quantum for Open Worlds: Voxels, Persistence, NavMesh, Procgen

01:46:08 - Where Engines Stand on Multiplayer (Unreal, Unity, Source)

01:51:32 - Pricing: Free 100 CCU and Scaling Costs

01:54:45 - Long‑Tail Costs & Keeping Servers Alive

01:57:40 - Game Preservation: LAN, Offline, and Local Servers

02:04:48 - What’s New: Fusion 2.1, Quantum 3.1, Unreal Betas

02:05:55 - First Multiplayer? Start Small and Prototype

02:08:12 - Prototyping: Quantum vs Fusion (Shared Mode)

02:10:30 - From Prototype to Production: Managing Complexity

02:14:11 - What Makes a Multiplayer Hit? Trends vs Design

02:16:29 - Fusion’s New Physics Forecasting

02:17:47 - Riding vs Making Trends (Landfall’s Streak)

02:21:02 - Dogfooding: Prototyping to Improve the Tools

02:24:26 - Closing & Thanks

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ