This week Kitfox Games founder and CEO Tanya Short swings by the studio to unveil the latest output from game design retreat Polaris: an expert-led list of the 100 most influential video games of all time.

Any such list is purely subjective, but unlike those made by sites like IGN, this one is assembled from the perspective of professional game designers. Today Short discusses the process of assembling the list, the influence of each game on the list, and  Polaris’ mission to document the ethereal truths and processes of designing games. 

Read the list: https://polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-list-2025/

Learn more about Polaris Game Design Retreat: https://polarisgamedesign.com/

Learn more about Kitfox Games: https://www.kitfoxgames.com/en

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This week Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart, two of the co-directors of Adhoc Studio’s Dispatch, swing by the Game Developer Podcast to talk about the processes for telling great stories in games, the process of collaborating with animation shop Igloo Studio, and surviving the rollercoaster process of studio funding in 2025.

Dispatch is the surprise smash hit narrative game of 2025. Adhoc Studios, with the help of Critical Role, Igloo Studio, and a satellite studio of other contributors, has crafted an amazing superhero story winning praise from players and developers alike.

We’re excited today to chat with Herman and Lenart about their process and see what developers can learn from their storytelling success.

Learn more about Adhoc Studio: https://www.adhocla.com/

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Former Nexon CEO Owen Mahoney has been on a blogging tear lately, calling out industry execs for boneheaded fad-chasing, breaking down the economics of game development, and, yes, singing the praises of generative AI.

His posts have rumbled across LinkedIn and through the private chats of industry executives. This week, we’re sitting down with Mahoney to ask about what game companies can do to survive the ongoing financial hardship—and press him about his thinking on why genAI is a supposed game-changer for game development. 

Read Owen Mahoney’s blog: https://www.owenmahoney.ai/

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Welcome to GDC Side Quest, our new monthly podcast project produced in partnership with GDC Festival of Gaming. On this show content marketing manager Beth Elderkin will travel the broader B2B ecosystem of the video game industry, seeking more insights from the many talented individuals who make great games come to life.

In this premiere episode Elderkin quizzes Finji CEO Bekah Saltsman not just about *what* indies need to know to survive the modern marketing landscape.

The GDC Side Quest podcast is a monthly podcast that celebrates and uplifts the entire game ecosystem, showcasing the people who make games thrive and sharing their lessons with the community. Part of the Game Developer podcast, GDC Side Quest is hosted and edited by Beth Elderkin, and features music by Mike Meehan.

Learn more about Finji: https://finji.co/

Learn more about GDC Festival of Gaming: schedule.gdconf.com

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And now for some indie game appreciation. This week Trinket Studios’ Tom Eastman and Ben Perez join us to discuss the development of the anime-inspired, card-based role-playing game Battle Suit Aces, with tales of cooking up card games and racing to save their intellectual property from the sinking of Adult Swim Games.

Learn more about Battle Suit Aces: https://battlesuitaces.com/

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Midwest Games CEO Ben Kvalo—an alumni of 2K Interactive and Netflix—sits down to discuss how “regionalism” can bring developers together from different parts of the industry, and how smaller companies that combine their powers may be a better fit than studios that tackle all ends of development.

Learn more about Midwest Games: https://www.midwestgames.com/

Learn more about the Wisconsin Games Alliance: https://www.wisconsingamesalliance.com/

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Former BioWare executive producer Mark Darrah discusses the complex challenges of leadership in the game industry, reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work during his days at BioWare. Also, what’s up with running his own YouTube channel now that he’s done making titanic role-playing games?

Learn more about Mark Darrah’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkDarrah

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ArenaNet game director Stephen Clarke-Willson and server programmer Robert Neckorcuk discuss the realities of keeping ArenaNet’s Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 up and running—with some spooky horror stories as well.

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This week on the Game Developer Podcast, Gearbox creative director Graeme Timmins and global creative executive Andrew Reiner swing by for a chat about what goes into the big picture of making a game like Borderlands 4, the team’s relationship with Unreal Engine 5, and offer their thoughts on Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford’s frequent public posts.

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This week on the Game Developer Podcast, Bloober Team lead combat designer Shamil Yanbukhtin and senior game AI programmer Dennis Pauly share insights from making a new kind of survival horror combat system for Cronos: The New Dawn.

Learn more about Cronos: The New Dawn.

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