Game Devastation

Game Devastation 28 features Design Director John Pearl.

We talk about level design, items to take into account when making VR games, combat in the game Chronos, John's new book on breaking into the industry, Darksiders, and what a Design Director does at Gunfire Games.

Game Devastation Episode 27 with designer and owner of Rocketcat Games, Kepa Auwae! We talk about getting into indie game development, iPhone vs. PC development, why Kickstarter isn't for everyone trying to make a game, making action rpgs on iphones, progression systems, their new games Die By the Sword and Death Road to Canada.

It's the 26th episode of Game Devastation, and we've got the two devs from Powerhoof (David and Barney) talking about their game Crawl. We discuss combat animations, creating local co-op, game jams, regular enemy vs. boss designs, community feedback, and creating a demonic Gabe Newell boss battle. Get hyped for a magnificent discussion about game development, friends!

For the 25th episode of Game Devastation, I get to talk with Coffee Stain Studios Game Designer Armin Ibrisagic. If you've played Goat Simulator, you've seen this man's work first hand. We talk about Armin's journey into design, humor in games, reacting quickly to players feedback, pitching games, and how gameplay loops can be evil! Check it out!

It's Episode 24 with guest Geoffrey Card, Senior Designer at Undead Labs! We talk about systems design, themes of a game genre affecting game design, defining the core game loop (and larger meta loops), State of Decay design, finding the appropriate balance for your game, and more! BUCKLE UP, IT'S A WILD RIDE. Well no, actually, it's quite a civil conversation between two game devs. Whatever, just listen to it, would ya?

Episode 23 of Game Devastation is all about the people that find and hire you for game industry jobs. Michael Schembari is the Director of Recruiting at Curse, and has worked with Amazon, and Blizzard to recruit and hire folks in the industry. We talk about optimal resumes, cover letters, what to wear in an interview, and how to navigate the compensation conversation. It's an interesting episode for those of you looking for some pro tips from a... uh... pro.

Episode 22 of Game Devastation: The Frost Episode. This Game Devastation is all about how I got into the game development industry, the various places I've worked, and some (painful, stressful, and enlightening) lessons I've learned while in the industry. If you've wanted a full account of how I ended up where I'm at, this is the episode to listen to, my friend.

Game Devastation Episode 21 establishes that Chivalry isn't dead! It's on Steam for a reasonable price. Character Artist Dylan Brady and Networking/UI Programmer Kevin Jay talk about Chivalry combat over a network, combat readability, immersion, story without pages of lore in the game, the value of playing games with coworkers, advice for character artists and programmers looking to get into the industry.

Episode 20 of Game Devastation features Supergiant Games (Bastion and Transistor) Creative Director Greg Kasavin. We talk about story working into gameplay, how games can stay true to their original vision but change to improve it, commuting from San Francisco to LA to work at EA, Bastion prototyping, narration in games as a story telling device, Transistor's musical development, and the importance of not burning out. If you're a fan of Bastion or Transistor, you're going to love this episode of Game Devastation.

Game Devastation Episode 19 featuring Secret Ponchos Creative Director Yousef Mapara is here, hombre. We talk about the start of the company Switchblade Monkeys, character design influencing design, game mechanics combined with art, the up/downside of Early Access, starting a studio with JUST artists, and the responsibilities of a Creative Director.