Buckle in for an in-depth, thought-provoking chat with one of gaming's most prolific new creators, Xalavier Nelson Jr! Whether it's for his journalism at Kotaku, his writing for Hypnospace Outlaw, or his own game development ventures like El Paso, Elsewhere, you have definitely seen Xalavier's work before.

Topics discussed include the context of how games are made, what devs look for in voice acting auditions, and why game controllers are all built the same now (pour one out for the Xbox Duke). Music from Gouphy Mouvy '97!

LINKS:

🎮 Strange Scaffold: https://linktr.ee/strangescaffold

🗣️ Xalavier's Socials: @WritNelson

💿 Gouphy Mouvy '97: https://dukenmaris.bandcamp.com/album/isekai-2-hotel-lobby-core-in-another-world

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

*insert PS1 startup sound here* Welcome to Pixel Pizza episode 98, two away from triple digits! This week our guest is accomplished video host and editor Rosie Caddick. For the past 5 years Rosie has been one of the faces of PlayStation UK's official YouTube channel, PlayStation Access! She tells us about discovering her passion for gaming industry interviews, taking risks and promoting yourself, and her Twitch channel Buddygames. Music from HM333XO!

LINKS:

▶️ PlayStation Access: https://www.youtube.com/@PlayStationAccess

🎮 Buddygames: https://www.twitch.tv/buddygamess

🗣️ Rosie's Socials: @Rosie_Caddick

💿 HM333XO: http://hm333xo.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Just in time for the weekend, we've got a new show with a new guest and new tunes! Our guest this week is Senior Art Director at Drinkbox Studios, Gabby DaRienzo. Gabby's super impressive resume includes A Mortician's Tale, Celeste, Super Crush K.O., and Nobody Saves the World 😮 We discuss making games about death, connecting with other developers on social media, and Toronto bar laws. Chiptunes from Vim in the UK!

LINKS:

🗣️ Gabby's Social Media: @GabbyDarienzo

🌐 Gabby's Website: https://gabbydarienzo.com/

💿 Vim: https://vimster.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

New year, new pizza! Bringing us into 2024 is prodigious animator and developer Mason Hardison, known online as Chaoko. At the age of 25 he's already worked on a number of big-budget titles, including Nintendo's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp! Currently Mason is developing his own project, the high-speed platformer Kilaflow. He tells us about getting hired via Twitter, game design psychology, and transitioning from modding to making games professionally. And be sure to check out Kilaflow's Kickstarter when it launches in March! Music from Yoann Turpin 🎶

LINKS:

🌳 Mason's LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/chaokocartoons

⚡️ Kilaflow Demo: https://chaoko.itch.io/kilaflow-sage-2023-demo

💿 Yoann Turpin: https://yoannturpin.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Last show before January, when the time loop begins again 😈 To close out 2023 we've got an incredibly fun and informative chat with the developer behind the emotional and time-bending RPG In Stars and Time! Adrienne Bazir aka InsertDisc5 tells us about her approach to worldbuilding, character art, and narrative playtesting plus lots more. With music from Mabisyo!

LINKS:

🌐 Adrienne's Website: https://www.insertdisc5.com/

✏️ Adrienne's Tumblr: https://insertdisc5.tumblr.com/

🎮 In Stars And Time: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1677310/In_Stars_And_Time/

👕 Merch: https://theyetee.com/collections/all/products/in-stars-and-time-tee-1?_pos=1&_sid=d54d32fe0&_ss=r

💿 Mabisyo: https://mabisyo.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

You made it to Friday! Take a breath and listen to this week's Pixel Pizza with the Social Media & Operations Manager of Extremely OK Games, Heidy Motta. We talk about what it was like behind the scenes during the huge success of Celeste, and how her role on the team has expanded as the team continues working on Earthblade. Chiptunes this week from Opus Science Collective!

LINKS:

🌐 Heidy's Website: https://www.heidy.page/

🆗 Extremely OK Games: https://exok.com/

💿 OSC: https://opussciencecollective.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

The year is winding down, but there's still a little more Pixel Pizza to go! This week you can enjoy a chat with the incredible pixel artist and game designer at Tako Boy Studios, Phil Giarrusso. Some of his notable works include Shovel Knight Dig, Creatures of Aether, and the upcoming (early access) card game Cross Blitz! Phil explains how he comes up with design rules for each project he's on, finding work through social media, and his favorite games of 2023! Chiptunes this week are Touhou covers from Kommisar~

LINKS:

🌐 Tako Boy Studios: https://www.takoboystudios.com/

💿 Kommisar: https://kommisarchiptune.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving week, listeners! But now turkey is out and pizza is back in 🍕 Bringing us back is acclaimed investigative game reporter Rebekah Valentine! She's handled a number of major stories over at IGN as well as on Gamesindustry.biz and USGamer. Reb tells us all about her reporting process, how she chases down a story, and the present and future of the games industry. Sounds intense, I know, but a very fun and exciting chat overall! Also featuring some incredible chiptunes from Japanese artist Hal_bits!

LINKS:

☁️ Rebekah's BlueSky: duckvalentine.bsky.social

🌐 Rebekah's articles: https://www.ign.com/person/duckvalentine

💿 Hal_bits: https://halbits.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

In this super exciting episode of the Pixel Pizza Podcast, we talk with creative/art director Rex Crowle! He's worked with a number of beloved studios including Lionhead, Media Molecule, Double Fine, and Terrible Toybox (Ron Gilbert's studio). Rex and I discuss working alongside your heroes, developing an art style that represents the ethos of your game, and bringing every team member's creative fingerprints into the project. Music this week comes from Akitakita!

LINKS:

🌐 Rex's Website: https://rexcrowle.com/

🗣️ Rex's Twitter/Bluesky: @Rexbox

💿 Akitakita: https://akitakita.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Contact: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com

I promised there were more brand new episodes coming and here's the next one! In this chill chat we dial into Italy to speak with sound designer Paolo Armao. He's brought his talents to animation, documentary films, VR, and of course video games. Paolo works with 34bigthings, best known for the sci-fi racing series Redout! We talk about bringing audio alive, the importance of flaws in great sound design, and how to create believably futuristic effects. Music this week from FLIPPENDO!

LINKS:

🌐 Paolo's Website: https://paoloarmao.com/

❌ Paolo's X: @Paolo_armao

💿 FLIPPENDO: https://flippendo.bandcamp.com/

✉️ Pixel Pizza Email: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com