It's Global Game Jam 2018! In this special jam episode you'll hear field interviews with gamedevs at the Minneapolis Gamecraft site mid-jam as they work on their games. Then your nice hosts talk all about how the weekend went for them and what they each got out of the experience. Martha is a stage manager, Mark can't help but make artistic developer art and Stephen is the GGJ MVP.

Marth's GGJ Interviews

Adia on Twitter. Adia’s game: “Jank Escape”

Ellen on Twitter. Ellen worked with Stephen on “Dicer and Clasp.”

“Intergalactic Transmissing”

“Radwave”

“Social Anxiety Simulator”

“Space Pirate Radio”

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube in HD-quality.)

All three of your nice hosts play ball in this episode, taking each other to task in the super-playful party fighter Lethal League. Martha almost beats Stephen, Stephen patiently tries to explain it to Mark, and Mark doesn't understand what's happening even when he's winning.

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube in HD-quality.)

In this episode, Mark dies a lot in Nioh, but his complaining has nothing to do with that.

We're trying something new with Nice Plays, where we pick up our episode a little ways into a game rather that starting from the beginning. We'll also be talking about a particular mechanic or feature in the game which relates to a topic we had discussed in detail on a previous episode of the podcast.

We're taking baby steps in this direction with this episode, where we pick up about an hour into the game, and focus a bit on the loot system. Your nice hosts discussed loot systems (and loot boxes) a few weeks ago in the episode "I have so much feelings." (https://nicegames.club/2018/01/i-have-so-much-feelings-loot-systems-loot-boxes/)

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube in HD-quality.)

In this episode, Mark dies a lot in Nioh, but his complaining has nothing to do with that.

We're trying something new with Nice Plays, where we pick up our episode a little ways into a game rather that starting from the beginning. We'll also be talking about a particular mechanic or feature in the game which relates to a topic we had discussed in detail on a previous episode of the podcast.

We're taking baby steps in this direction with this episode, where we pick up about an hour into the game, and focus a bit on the loot system. Your nice hosts discussed loot systems (and loot boxes) a few weeks ago in the episode "I have so much feelings." (https://nicegames.club/2018/01/i-have-so-much-feelings-loot-systems-loot-boxes/)

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube in HD-quality.)

All three of your nice hosts play ball in this episode, taking each other to task in the super-playful party fighter Lethal League. Martha almost beats Stephen, Stephen patiently tries to explain it to Mark, and Mark doesn't understand what's happening even when he's winning.

It's been awhile since your nice hosts recorded in the clubhouse, and they have a lot to talk about, including news about Martha's now-in-development point-and-click game!

This, plus the return of Mortho, an uncritical endorsement of capitalism, and Stephen admitting that Uncharted 4 maybe had some good things about it.

• That Nintendo Labo Robot Game Looks Awfully Familiar - Chris Kohler, Kotaku
• The Global Game Jam is this weekend! It’s not too late to sign up!
• An Overwatch Women's League isn't the answer - Ashley Oh, Polygon

A few alternatives to Steam: Itch.io, Good Old Games, Humble Bundle, Robot Cache.

Microsoft Excel ‘95 contained Hall of Tortured Souls and Excel ‘97 had a space simulator!

It's been awhile since your nice hosts recorded in the clubhouse, and they have a lot to talk about, including news about Martha's now-in-development point-and-click game!

This, plus the return of Mortho, an uncritical endorsement of capitalism, and Stephen admitting that Uncharted 4 maybe had some good things about it.

A few alternatives to Steam: Itch.io, Good Old Games, Humble Bundle, Robot Cache.

Microsoft Excel ‘95 contained Hall of Tortured Souls and Excel ‘97 had a space simulator!

This week, your nice hosts are introduced by Felix Foster, writer and narrative designer, to talk about character dialogue (or dialog, as was deemed also appropriate during the show).

Felix Foster is a writer and narrative designer. He is on the board of Twin Cities Pride.

This week, your nice hosts are introduced by Felix Foster, writer and narrative designer, to talk about character dialogue (or dialog, as was deemed also appropriate during the show).

Felix Foster is a writer and narrative designer. He is on the board of Twin Cities Pride.

Another year of great games! All "four" of your hosts gather in the freezing clubhouse to talk about some of the nicest games of 2017. They decided that they couldn't ALL talk about Zelda and Mario for the whole episode so each of them picked exactly two games to highlight. Mark is on brand, Stephen makes some ambitious resolutions and Martha totally didn't cheat the system.

• Listen to Sara’s Widget Satchel Soundtrack here! - Sara Ferrart
• Play the jam version of Widget Satchel - Ludum Dare

Smash on the Switch (NINTENDO PLEASE)