Make the Game with Matt Hackett

Make the Game with Matt Hackett

By ValadriaLeisureVideo Games
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Make the Game with Matt Hackett episodes

  • Ignore the Great Attractors

    Time for another game dev podcast! 🎙

    You've been so kind & encouraging about last week's episode that I just had to keep talking. Let's do this. We're discussing:

    1. On loving & hating marketing
    2. Ignore the "Great Attractors"
    3. Failing to follow your own advice
    4. Your tools serving you VS getting in your way
    5. Thoughts on crowd-funding

      6. 🎸 Music

      • Simple but Effective
      • Phantom Anthem Wubs
      • Wanderer
      • Back at it
      • I'm Just Going to Call it Dubstep

        • 🫧 Play the Pixel Washer demo!

        Notice me burying the lead much? Yeah, I've got a new playable demo for you!

        Have a relaxing time power washing beautiful pixels in Pixel Washer!

        That's the pitch! It's just gorgeous 2D pixels that you need to clean. That's it. Some of you may remember Weekend game jam: Pixel Washer – yup, this is further development of that concept!

        It's early times. I'll probably completely redo how the power washing itself works, which is all the game is about, but do play the demo & let me know what you think in the Valadria Discord.

        29 min
      • Getting back to my roots

        It's time for a podcast-style podcast (if that makes sense). A long conversation that rambles & goes off on tangents, but delivers an honest deep dive into my process & what I'm working on.


        Topics

        1. 🛠 What I'm working on
        2. 🎮 Refocusing on game development
        3. 🧪 Concept development
        4. 😀 I hate marketing (jk, let me explain)
        5. 🪑 Being authentic online
        6. 💰 (Bonus: Making Big Indie Games)


          7. Music

          • Diabolical Experiments
          • Joshua Morse's Waveform
          • Killer Factory Retro and Evening Dogs by SuloSounds


            • More info

            https://www.valadria.com/getting-back-to-my-roots/

            52 min
          • Making great game trailers with Derek Lieu

            https://www.valadria.com/game-trailers-with-derek-lieu/


            Does anybody read the text that I type into this box? I have no idea.

            Anyway here's a timecode dump from my notes, maybe this is helpful:

            • 0:16: getting into game trailers
            • 4:40: overflow work
            • 5:15: charging not enough, less agency / more indie
            • 5:15: undercharging
            • 8:00: make fan trailers
            • 11:00: where to post trailers / content
            • 13:08: give advice about what you're doing
              • 16:00: trailer categories
              • 17:50 types of game trailers
              • 20:42: trailer lengths
              • 21:40: What gameplay to show?
              • 24:56: Movie trailers
                • 28:28: The magic of good editing
                • 29:50: Kuleshov effect
                • 31:03: Advanced game trailer problems
                • 32:35: End slates
                • 33:01: Logo Soup
                • 33:33: Logos and branding
                • 37:29: Spelunky 2
                • 45:35: Game trailer courses
                  • 48:32: Anything identifiable from your game
                  • 49:56: Ice Cream Analogy
                  • 50:59: Outro

                    • Thanks for listening! Support this show by sharing, rating/writing review(s), and buying my book. I appreciate it.

                    -Matt

                    54 min
                  • Witchmore devlog: Introduction

                    🦇 Add Witchmore to your Steam witchlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2289580/Witchmore/

                    📙 Read more: https://www.valadria.com/witchmore-devlog-intro/
                    TIMELINE
                    0:00 Intro
                    1:15 Why Witchmore?
                    2:47 Eggspansion
                    5:37 Scratch your itches
                    7:58 What's cool about it?
                    10:59 What's next?
                    MUSIC
                    * Electro Breaks Loop Remastered: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=749&genre=Electro
                    * Phantom Anthem Wubs: https://teknoaxe.com/Link_Code_3.php?q=879&genre=Dubstep

                    12 min
                  • Steam Game Marketing GOLD with Chris Zukowski

                    Learn Steam game marketing from expert Chris Zukowski!

                    Find resources & more: https://www.valadria.com/steam-game-marketing-with-chris-zukowski/


                    0:00 Intro

                    0:15 Critical Steam dev marketing advice
                    1:51 Reliable Steam dev strategies
                    3:38 Translating your page
                    6:28 Interest-first dev
                    9:48 Outro

                    46 min
                  • Fruit Ninja designer Luke Muscat talks going solo dev

                    Join me on today's Make the Game as we talk going solo with Luke Muscat, designer of mobile hits Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride.

                    Luke's fascinating journey through games includes going from leadership roles to learning programming & art. Particularly fascinating to me is Luke's usage of YouTube to prove prototypes before committing fully to a concept.


                    Join 10,000+ subscribers on Luke's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lukemuscat


                    More episode links and resources right here: https://www.valadria.com/solo-dev-luke-muscat/

                    51 min
                  • Pro tips from 2 indie game devs with Thomas Stewart

                    Come hang out with me and  @ThomasStewartDev  on today's Make the Game! We're talking about indie game dev, video creation, and how to balance these complicated things.

                    0:00 Intro
                    1:16 Game dev book
                    4:08 Monetized GOT
                    5:36 Consumer VS creator
                    7:24 YouTube tips
                    8:44 Delivering on promises
                    11:15 Game dev tiers
                    14:21 Work/life balance
                    18:50 Tanks, but No Tanks
                    21:57 Outro
                    https://www.valadria.com/indie-game-dev-with-thomas-stewart/

                    25 min
                  • How to make a good Steam page

                    How do you make a good Steam page?

                    0:00 Intro

                    0:20 Summary

                    0:28 Assets

                    2:46 Short description

                    4:00 Long description

                    5:04 Screenshots

                    5:34 Trailer

                    6:57 Resources

                    7:17 Outro

                    Notes, links, & attributions:

                    https://www.valadria.com/how-to-make-a-good-steam-page/

                    8 min
                  • Pancakes & the secret to making good things

                    How making pancakes can make you a better game developer:

                    0:00 Intro

                    0:25 Topics

                    1:20 Pancakes as creative works

                    1:49 Why pancakes?

                    2:32 How I make pancakes

                    3:43 Iteration is key

                    4:31 A tight feedback loop

                    6:29 Making a pancake machine

                    7:07 Ready to automate?

                    8:45 Handmade VS procedural

                    11:08 Outro 

                    https://www.valadria.com/pancakes-equal-excellence/

                    13 min

                  About Make the Game with Matt Hackett

                  From the publisher's feed

                  Learn to make and sell indie games with Matt Hackett, author of How to Make a Video Game All By Yourself.