The Indie Diarist

In this episode, I spent some time with an old friend of the show: VCD, tuning in all the way from Nigeria, who's been following The Indie Diarist pretty much since its very early days! From rookie mistakes to dealing with discouragement and building metroidvania worlds, this episode is packed with good times and wholesomeness. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support VCD 🎒💛

- Wishlist The InBetween: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3050000/The_InBetween_Demo⁠

- Threads: https://threads.net/vcdgamer12345

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinbetweendev

- Donations: https://buymeacoffee.com/vcdgamer/the-inbetween-support

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In this episode, I spent some time with Trinket, an incredibly passionate and talented horror developer who's working on visual novel Veins Like Tapeworms, scheduled for release in February 2025. Trinket and I ended up discussing stories, creativity, and the secrets to a good horror game, in an episode that's as exciting as it's delightfully short! Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Trinket 🎒💛

https://store.steampowered.com/developer/AwesomeTrinket

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3106780/Veins_Like_Tapeworms/

https://bsky.app/profile/awesometrinket.bsky.social

https://trinket-games.tumblr.com/

https://x.com/Trinket_Games

https://awesometrinket.itch.io/

In this episode, I spent some time with Mario and Virginie, two lovely game developers and co-founders of eXplore Studio, tuning in from Germany. Mario and Virginie are working on The Kaiyo Mission, a space exploration game bringing together a range of cultural influences and planned for release in December this year. Mario and Virginie are pouring a lot of heart and soul into this project, and this episode shows that. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support eXplore Studio:

- Wishlist The Kaiyo Mission: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2248280/The_Kaiyo_Mission/

- Website: https://explorestudiogames.com/

- Twitter: https://x.com/thekaiyomission

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekaiyomission/

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thekaiyomission

In this episode in collaboration with Gentleland.net, I spent some time with Laurenz, an architecture turned solo game dev who's working on story-driven action RPG Edenfall: Legacy of the First Wardens. Laurenz ran an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, and here he shares some tips for other developers wishing to do the same. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Laurenz:

- Wishlist Edenfall: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2249060/Edenfall_Legacy_of_the_First_Wardens/

- Website: https://www.everfluxgames.com/

- Twitter: https://x.com/everfluxgames

- Discord: https://discord.gg/tHWWuucahp

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In this episode, I spent a beautiful hour with Manu from Crisalu Games - an Argentinian team working on Viscera Cleanup-inspired game Goblin Cleanup. Despite not even being in early access, the game already looks incredibly polished – to the point it feels like in the final stages of polish already! In this episode, I chatted with Manu about the game, being a game dev in Argentina, and a lot more. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Manu:

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What's your stance on using AI for game development? In this episode, I connected with the amazing team behind Dead Meat, a narrative investigation name I had the chance to try out at WASD, which uses a large language model as the basis for its narrative structure - but with a human twist. If you've been wondering whether AI is good or bad for the industry... this episode might change your mind! Enjoy! 🎒💛

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- Wishlist Dead Meat: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2628740/Dead_Meat/

- Say hi to Meaning Machine: [email protected]

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Support the show 🎒💛

- Join the community: https://discord.com/invite/J84aPfSSvj

- Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@TheIndieDiarist

- Become a Patron: ⁠https://patreon.com/theindiediarist⁠

- Follow on Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/theindiediarist⁠

- Follow on Threads: https://threads.net/@theindiediarist

In this episode, I spent some time with Rob Pigott, a queer, non-binary game developer, writer and screenwriter from New York who's working on Bitter Silver, a love letter to Cowboy Bebop. Rob is a huge fan of narrative adventures, and their passion for stories shines through every minute of this episode. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Rob:

- Back Bitter Silver on KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lookoutdrivegames/bitter-silver-a-cowboy-bebop-inspired-visual-novel

- Wishlist Bitter Silver: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1906930/Bitter_Silver/

- Follow Rob and Lookout Drive Games: https://allmylinks.com/lookout-drive-games

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What happens when a bunch of friends come together to develop a game from shared experiences? Something like InkForge Studios, most likely! In this episode, I spent some time with Archie and Oli, two members of the team, who told me all about a delightful game I tried at WASD this year – I'll Be Brave Tomorrow. Trust me – this is going to pull at some emotional heartstrings. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support InkForge:

- Wishlist the game: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2741070/Ill_be_Brave_Tomorrow__Indie_Narrative_Platformer/

- Check out the team: https://www.inkforgestudios.com/

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You know I always love talking to a fellow writer! In this episode, I spent some time with Amber Scott, head storyteller and lead writer for Only By Midnight – a Canadian indie studio about to release its dystopian darling, Ctrl.Alt.Deal. The episode touches on a lot of great topics, from burnout in the industry to inspiring players with your stories, and it's definitely worth a listen. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Amber 🎒💛

- Check out Ctrl.Alt.Deal on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2146390/ctrlaltDEAL/

- Website: https://www.ctrlaltdeal.com

- Facebook: Only By Midnight

- Twitter/X: @OnlyByMidnight

- Instagram: onlybymidnight

- Bluesky: @onlybymidnight.bsky.social

- TikTok: @onlybymidnight

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I don't get to say this often, but an exciting episode awaits! In this one, I spent some time with Alex, one of the very first members in The Indie Diarist's Discord server, who's working on both a vampire-themed visual novel and an RPG in his Harrowed World universe. We had the chance to discuss the meaning of horror, switching engines, vampires, and a lot more – for a packed episode with loads to discover. Enjoy! 🎒💛

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Support Alex:

- Try the free visual novel: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2715020/Harrowed_World_Whats_Past_Is_Portents__Vampire_Visual_Novel/?curator_clanid=44405163

- Wishlist Portents In Red: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2529270/Harrowed_World_Portents_In_Red__Vampire_RPG/?curator_clanid=44405163

- Website: https://www.harrowedworld.com/

- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ctwZzMcVne

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