Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us in the club house to discuss the latest in game dev news! We talk about the latest releases, GDC getting "postponed", Kickstarter unionizing and more. Be nice and have a listen!Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:05:34HyperDot is a local game by Stephen's brother Charles! Buy it!Bulletin topic (News)Timecode0:20:22Important GDC 2020 Update - GDCTrain Jam is still on!Wings Fund is providing GDC relief funding.Plan B Project has an event page on Facebook.AltGDC will have conference talks and panels that will be recorded.#notGDC is an annual, free, online event that runs concurrently every year.​​​​​​​COVID-19 information from the World Health Organization.Google's ambitious push into gaming is floundering, and it's due largely to too… - Ben Gilbert, Business InsiderKickstarter employees vote to unionize, relieving tension among game developers - Charlie Hall, Polygon

We're back! This week, your nice hosts talk about what they did over their winter break, from taking up residence in a new clubhouse, to developing a new logo and website, and more! But in the end, everything is still nice.Highlights of this extra-long special episode:Martha proposes a Nice Games Club IDE color theme......Dale joins the show to point out that making a logo for a podcast is harder than making a logo for a game......and after all the redesign work, Stephen makes a late pitch to rename the show "Hot Takes Games Club."Plus, the entire clubhouse goes back and forth making promises (setting expectations) on the new website. It's an iterative process, people!What We Did On Our Winter Break (2020)Nice Games Club Logo DevelopmentHere's a Nice Game Club "Bug" concept that was rejectedLogo Option #1: StarsLogo Option #2: Git TreeLogo Option #3: Coding BracketsStephen and the Fingeance team talk about their love of "choice #3" in one of our "Code Comment" episodes:Code Comment: "Fingeance"Iteration on Logo #3 (brackets)Logo in multiple color contexts, including the "Valentine" themeVariations on the "logo on a cartridge" conceptWe made our new site using Drupal, a VERY open source web development tool.December 2019IGDATC's monthly meetingsDale talked about developing Reravel, which was first developed during a Nice Games Jam episode:Reravel: A Backwards Storytelling GameJanuary 2020ProtospielHyperdot, a game by Stephen's brother Charles McGregor was released this month on January 31st. It is available on Xbox, Steam, itch.io and Windows PC. You can buy it now.Global Game Jam 2020The Global Game Jam 2019 keynote (aka: the best keynote ever) starts at 04:00The Global Game Jam 2020 keynoteWe mentioned Rachel, the head of GLITCH's Discord, who we have had on a previous episode:Games Education Mark worked with Scott Lembke for GGJ 2020. We interviewed Scott on a previous GGJ episode:"Steal this episode."Mark's logo for his team's GGJ 2020, with character art by teammate KissiKissi worked on a few games during the jam!Screenshot from "Super City Mayor," Mark's GGJ gameYou can play Dale and Beth's GGJ game, "Corporate Espionage" right in your brow…February 2020Mark and Dale saw David Byrne's American Utopia!American Utopia on BroadwayAmerican Utopia: Full Cast AlbumSpotifyNew York Transit MuseumDale in a very old subway car at the transit museumDale in a moderately old subway car at the transit museumNYU Games Center has playtest events every Thursday

#149Buttons and Triggers and Sticks, Oh My!Nice Games Jam2019.09.25This week's episode is sponsored by Codecks, the project management tool for game developers, by game developers! Sign up for free at http://codecks.io/nicegamesclub to let them know we sent you!It's another Nice Games Jam! This time, our boyfriend Dylan sent in a particularly interesting challenge, asking your nice hosts to design a game where the player's load-out impacts the game's controls.After an aborted attempt to make it into a game consisting of physical props, we came up with a very strange concept for a video game where you equip and battle a bunch of different controllers as if they were Pokémon or something!PromptDesign a game where the player's load-out impacts the game's controls.Game typePaper prototypePlayer count2-4MaterialsA controller of your choosingPieces to "slot" to your controller's buttonsSetup"Buttons and Triggers and Sticks, Oh My!" (Prototype)In this game, you control a "battlebot" vehicle that you configure using equipment and weapons that are auctioned off between players before the match. The twist is that your bot is a vehicle shaped like the actual controller you play the game with, and its capabilities are determined by the physical configuration of the input elements. Want a different bot, you gotta plug in a different controller!ControllersEach controller, from a knock-off Xbox 360 controller to a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, has a list of "inventory slots" which line up with the physical controller's buttons and input elements. Items placed in these slots are "attached" to the in-game representation of the controller.Each controller also has general properties such as hull strength and overall weight, and controllers with special properties like rumble, motion controls, or expansion ports would have additional in-game potential. Additionally, wired controllers would have different properties than wireless controllers, etc.EquipmentEach piece of equipment has the following characteristics:TypeMovementEnginesRanged weaponsMelee weaponsTraps/environmentShieldsBonus/special itemsStats: depends on type. Engines would have speed/power stats and weapons would have damage stats, for example.Input compatibility: Which set of buttons, sticks, and/or triggers can this equipment be attached to? For example, the Z button on a Saturn controller is a face button, but it's a trigger on a Nintendo 64 controller. A machine gun might be placed on a trigger, or it could be placed on an analog stick and work as a turret! Maybe certain items can only be placed on controllers that have a "Select" button, etc.RulesAuctionPlayers configure their loudouts from stratch before every match, at the same time, using an auction system. Pieces of equipment comes up for auction one-by-one.First, players are given vague information about the next item up for bid, and may pre-bid for it, gambling that it will be something useful to them.If no player pre-bids for the item, it is fully revealed and players bid normally for it. Certain items will be incompatible for certain controllers, but a player may wish to bid on it anyway to deny it to another player (maybe they can then "melt down" the unwanted piece of equipment for some other resource).This process continues either until all players are out of resources, or all the items (some subset of the total items in the game) have been put up for auction.Resources could be limited, meaning that high-bidding contests would result in weaker players and more tactical, less chaotic matches (since all equipment would be expensive). Alternately, resources could be plentiful, providing players with lots of options, and any left over resources could be used to power and/or upgrade equipment, providing some motivation not to overspend for equipment.GameplayBattles would be essentially multiplayer deathmatchs, where each player operates the equipment they've equipped to thier vehicle by using the input element they've assigned it to.Battles would be heavily focused on targeting other players various equipment, in order to disable or destroy them.Play could work using a 3rd person "Mario Kart/Twisted Metal battle mode" style of skill-based play, or perhaps it could use a Fallout VATS style targeting system where players would need to assign targets in real-time but would only need to hit the other player (letting an RNG system determine how successful the hit was)The game might include other genre staples like item pickups (energy, ammo, etc).Campaign/Progression?Outside of regular matches, perhaps players could run campaigns where the results of each match would provide winnings that they can later use to upgrade their vehicle or purchase new equipment.

#118"It's Black History Month, y'all!"Roundtable2019.02.26In this episode, your nice hosts make sure you know that Treasure Stack, the game Stephen "is paid to work on," is coming out Friday, March 1st!Mark then gives a primer on some audio basics that will help you understand how sound works, and works in your game. Even if you're bored by that, be sure to stick around for a discussion Stephen leads about representation in games."Treasure Stack Reveals Launch Date With a Trailer Powered By Artisanal, Locall… - Hardcore GamersAudio Basics0:05:32Mark LaCroixAudio"MP3 'died' and nobody noticed: Key patents expire on golden oldie tech" - Andrew Orlowski, The RegisterDigital Audio Basics: Sample Rate and Bit DepthTurns out, there is a ".2" in certain surround sound setups.Get free sounds on freesound.org!The reduction in audio dynamics in pop music is a result of the so-called Loudn…Representation in Games0:41:57Stephen McGregorIRLProductionKey & Peele - Black Republicans"Here's a good argument for a black Batman" - Dan Neilan, AV Club"Hopi-less: How Kachina Became Donut County" - John Walker, Rock Paper Shotgun"What It's Like To Write About Race And Video Games" - Gita Jackson, Kotaku

#143Ants of Destiny: Morsels of the QueenNice Games Jam2019.08.13This week in the clubhouse, Stephen is still away in New York.Ellen is back to help out with a Nice Games Jam! Our prompt: create a JRPG-inspired game in under an hour. But like any good JRPG, it took twice as long to complete as expected...Ellen's handwritten notes are worth a look! (PDF) And here's the Wikipedia page for Weevil, which Ellen wanted you to see.PromptWhat would the Nice Games Club take on a JRPG be? Do thatGame typePaper prototypePlayer count2SetupA two-person pen-and-paper RPG. One player portrays the party of ants, and the other player controls all enemies and narrates the story as the GM.The StoryYour queen is dying, and for unknown reasons (foreshadowing!) your colony is running out of resources. You, a young worker ant, and your party of misfits must set out from your home to collect the extra food and supplies needed to save your colony, battling foes and overcoming challenges along the way!RulesThe PartyWorker Ant (Player protagonist)Bite (attack): 2Carry (inventory): 5Exo (armor): +0Ability: "Defend" - Once per encounter, secretly choose (and write down) a party member. The next attack against that character will automatically fail. This remains in effect until an enemy attacks the selected player, or the player uses their ability.Soldier AntBite (attack): 3Carry (inventory): 4Exo (armor): +2Ability: "Command" - Once per encounter, use this ability to grant an automatic success on a party member's next attack.Flying AntBite (attack): 1Carry (inventory): 3Exo (armor): -1Ability: "Fly" - Once per encounter, choose an attack target, then exit play for this round. This character cannot be attacked by a non-flying enemy until they return at the start of the next round, when the attack is executed (as long as the target is currently in play).Weevil (in disguise)Bite (attack): 1Carry (inventory): 4Exo (armor): +4Ability: "Push" - Once per encounter, you can select an enemy to remove from play until the end of the round. This enemy cannot attack or be attacked.All party members have 10 hit points (HP).Party stats Move: 4Overworld The GM prepares a map on a 20x20 grid, with multiple paths, each ending with a resource. This map is kept hidden the player. The player has their own map, which starts out blank. The GM draws new information on this map as the player uncovers it.Each path on the map has the following information/stats:Sense threshold (the number the player must roll above to detect its existence)The shape and length of the path on the map.The "peril value" representing the number added to random encounter checks (1-3).The type of resource at the end of the path (food, item, etc. During our playthough, we only used food).The amount/value of the resource at the end of the path (food: 1-3)Paths don't all have to start from the origin point of the party. Some can begin in the middle of another paths, but the party can only discover a path if they are within sensing range of the beginning (how near is that? Um, we didn't figure that out).Overworld turn sequenceSense check: Player rolls 1d10. This value is compared against the "sense threshold" of each path which is within sensing range of the party. All paths whose sense threshold is equal to or below the value of the roll is "discovered" by the player. For each path whose sensing threshold is below the value of the roll, the player rolls another 1d10. The higher the roll result, the more information is revealed about it (1-3 no info, 4-7 some info, 9-10 all info). The exact information revealed is up to the GMs discretion. Paths which are revealed as a result of the initial roll being equal to the sensing threshold are discovered but no extra roll is made and no information is revealed.Move: Player chooses a path and advances along it equal to the number of spaces of the party's "move" stat.Random encounter check: The GM rolls 1d10. The "peril value" of the current path is added to the roll. The value is checked against an encounter table. This table (which, oops, we didn't create) would have more dangerous encounters the larger the number is, while the low range of numbers (say 1-4) would have no encounter at all.Sense points During the episode, we discussed letting the player "bank" sense points. For example, a player rolls a 9 on a sense check, but only chooses to use 6 and save the other 3. The GM then treats it as if the player rolled of 6, and the player now has 3 points to add as a modifier to future rolls.Enemy Encounters At the start of each round of battle, the player and the GM roll 1d10 for initiative. The higher roll goes first.Each character has one action per round. Initiative passes between the player and the GM and the round is over when all characters and enemies have taken an action.ActionsAttack: This is an opposed roll. The attacking character rolls 1d10. The defending character rolls 1d10, plus its Exo modifier. In the case of a successful attack, the defending character loses HP equal to attacker's attack stat. If the roll (including modifiers) is a tie, both players roll again with no modifiers to determine the result.Ability: The character may use their ability instead of attacking.After the player's party defeats certain opponents, its body can be converted into resources, which use up the "carry" stats of various party members, distributed as the player sees fit.Obtaining resources Once the party reaches the end of a path, the GM rolls 1d10 (in secret) to determine the state of the resources in this area. We develop a table for this during the episode, but it might go something like:1 - 2: All resources are immediately available to collect. 3 - 5: Resources are trapped, players must attack or dismantle a barrier of some kind. The Exo value of the barrier is equal to this roll and the barrier's HP value is equal to a second 1d10 roll by the GM. 6 - 9: Resources are hidden, with this value being the threshold value the player must roll above in order to discover them one by one. 10: Resources are completely inaccessible.If resources are trapped or hidden, the player can roll 1d10 to find them or attack the barrier to release them. After each attempt, an encounter check is made, so players will have to make calculated risks.Once the player collects all resources, or declines further attempts to collect them, the party returns to the home colony, unloads thier resources, heals all their HP, and starts again on a new path.Once the player brings 30 pieces of food (or some other metric of resources) back to the colony, the colony is saved! ...OR SO IT SEEMS!!The Big Twist!This is a JRPG-inspired game, so now it's time to turn the tables, expand the world to a preposterous scale, and raise the stakes as high (or higher) than makes any sense.What the story twist is will be determined using a die roll from the GM.1 - 3: An Evil Weevil Infiltration It turns out the weevil in your party isn't the only "ant imposter" in your colony! Via a tearful confession, your weevil friend reveals that they have had a change of heart and must tell you the truth... your queen, and much of the high guard who protects the colony, have been replaced by EVIL WEEVILS in disguise! No wonder resources have been limited: The weevils have been stealing them! It's now up to you and your party to stop the them and win back your homeland!4 - 6: Nearby Colony Has Incredibly Advanced Technology A huge rumble shakes the ground. Suddenly, a fleet of dragonflies descends at the edge of the colony, dispensing super-soldier ants from a neighboring colony, who have somehow obtained unimaginably powerful technology. No wonder resources have been limited: the neighboring colony has developed... industry, evaporating water reserves and contaminating local food supplies! It's now up to you and your party to shut down their terrible war machine and bring peace back to the colony!7 - 9: The Truman Show Ending Wait, what's that? A violent shake disrupts the ground below, the walls around, and the ceilings above you! It's as if the entire colony has been knocked around and then dropped from a great height. Well, that's exactly what happened! It turns out, you've all been living in a large, artificial ant farm! No wonder resources have been limited: the human who is supposed to feed and take take of you has neglected their duties. It's now up to you and your party to rescue the members of your colony from this disaster, and find a way to break free of the plastic shell that represents your entire reality!10: Roll again!

#120Developer/Publisher RelationsInterview2019.03.12This week, August Brown (senior producer for Kongregate Publishing) enters the clubhouse to reveal the secrets of successful developer/publisher relationships!Your nice hosts learn what publishers expect from a pitch, how forming a relationship with a publisher isn't always strictly business, and that publishers also think you're not charging enough money for your game.Developer/Publisher RelationsProductionKongregate PublishingSelf-publish on KartridgeMartha mentioned the Sokpop Collective.August brought up The Flash Games Postmortem that his colleague John Cooney pre…August BrownGuestAugust is a Senior Producer at Armor Games Studios. Formerly a Senior Producer for Kongregate Publishing.External linkTwitter

#115"Steal this episode."Roundtable2019.02.06Your Nice Hosts are back from PodCon 2 and fresh off the Global Game Jam where Martha wrote a game for the first time! We talk all about that experience as well as celebrate Public Domain Day for the first time in 20 years. Mark guides us through the history of copyright, Stephen jams in 3D and Martha is a totally normal McElroy Fan (tmtmtmtm)Photo by GLITCHLiving Computer MuseumGlobal Game Jam games from MinnesotaWriting for Games0:15:15Martha MegarryNarrativeOne Polar NightIntellectual Property and the Public Domain0:37:57Mark LaCroixNewsProductionPublic Domain Day 2019 (Duke University Website)“Happy Birthday” is public domain, former owner Warner/Chapell to pay $14 - Joe Mullin, Ars TechnicaCopyright vs Trademark vs Patent - United States Patent and Trademark OfficeAll by Myself - Irving Berlin, Aileen StanleySherlock Holmes in the 22nd CenturySherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century theme songThe Patent on Loading Screen Minigames is About To Expire - Luke Plunkett, KotakuOracle vs Google trial Java runtime

#141Nostalgia and the Lo-fi AestheticInterview2019.07.30Wishlist/purchase Anodyne 2: Return to Dust on:Steam | Itch.io | Kartridge | GoGThis week, your nice hosts are joined by Marina Kittaka, artist and co-developer on the upcoming Anodyne 2: Return to Dust.Marina made the 30-foot journey from her desk to the clubhouse in order to discuss Anodyne's theme of nostalgia, the "personal" authenticity of the game's lo-fi PS1-era aesthetics, jumping in to her first 3D project, leveraging your limitations, and more!Nostalgia and the Lo-fi AestheticArtWishlist/purchase Anodyne 2: Return to Dust on:Steam | Itch.io | Kartridge | GoGSean Han Tani (@sean_HTCH) is Marina's development partner. His solo game All Our Asias was a inspiration for their current collaboration.Analgesic Productions' previous titles:AnodyneEven the OceanMarina KittakaGuestMarina Kittaka is co-developer of Anodyne and upcomign Anodyne 2: Return to Dust. As well as games such as Even the Ocean, how do you Do It, and Secrets Agent. She works in illustration and comics.External linkmarinakittaka.comMarina on twitter @even_kei

#100"100 times nice." 100th Episode SpecialSpecial2018.08.22In this episode, your nice hosts celebrate 100 episodes of Nice Games! We reminisce a bit on how the podcast has been going and go behind the scenes on what it takes to release one of the episodes.Thanks for listening to us 100 times!100th Episode Special 0:00:27MetaOur evil counterparts, Evil Games Club, have released two episodes so far...Evil Games Club! and this one Evil Games Club 2!Martha in the recording studio aka "Clubhouse"StephenThe Microphones we use to record.The audio interface (hardware) we use to record

#94"Somebody's first episode."Roundtable2018.07.10You can wishlist Widget Satchel and Claw Breaker on Steam right now! You can also add Widget Satchel and Claw Breaker to your itch.io collection!This week, Martha admits to piracy, Stephen tells Nintendo to just stop making GameCube controllers already, and Mark tells his favorite video game story which is about buttons because Mark is boring.Amazing Mario 3 Speedrun Is Full Of Setbacks And Sportsmanship - Heather Alexandra, KotakuLanguage of Games0:11:31Martha MegarryGame DesignWhen snarky players still want to give info against the GM’s wishes, you get th… - @SeiWot, TwitterStop, Drop, and Heal: The history of regenerating health” - Jeff Dunn, GamesRadarAn article from the developers of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst on the new Runner’s Vi… - EAThe Sony PlayStation’s buttons get explained by their designer  - John Brownlee, Geek.comThe Japanese Side of the PlayStation Button Confusion -  Richard Eisenbeis, KotakuThe passion of the checkpoint: Why gaming's most frustrating failure is so hard… - Ben Kuchera, PolygonWe played the convention-defying game OneShot on our very first Nice Plays episode.Nice Plays: OneShot (2016)Rami Ismail documented his mother’s playing through new games on Twitter. - @tha_rami, TwitterSequels1:07:25Mark LaCroixMisc.The MIT Dropouts Who Created Ms. Pac-Man: A 35th-Anniversary Oral History - Benj Edwards , Fast CompanyTV Tropes has a list of spiritual successors in video games. - TV Tropes

It's time once again to bring you the Nicest Games of 2019! Or rather, the nicest games that we played in 2019. We also talk about our game dev resolutions and the games we are excited for in 2020.We also have some programming news! We are going on hiatus until February 2020 to work on a revamp of our website and logo. We will be bringing you some of the nicest episodes from the past year or so to tide you over until then. Happy new decade, everyone!0:02:26Local Releases (2019)Widget SatchelTreasure StackFuseTactics VNewt One on SwitchAnodyne 2Extreme Mining0:08:05Nicest (2019)Martha’s Nicest:Destiny 2Read Only MemoriesWe talked about Martha’s honorable mention in episode 152."Casper the Not-So-Friendly Goose."Mark’s Nicest:ControlLink’s AwakeningLots of cool pictures of Control and other games in Dead End ThrillsControl taught me to love the ugliest architecturePolygonStephen’s Nicest: Stephen technically doesn’t have any this year!0:25:39Most Anticipated (for 2020)Martha’s:OobletsAnimal CrossingSkateBIRDOllie Oop (a MN Local!)Mark’s:Playstation 5Project Scarlett (Xbox)12 MinutesSpiritfarerStephen’s:Nioh 2The Last of Us Part 2SpiritfarerFingeance0:36:07Gamedev Resolutions (for 2020)

Evil Games Club is back! Dale, Adia, and Dylan are here to correct the score and give their take on past Nice Games Club topics, including "Writing For Games," "Reravel," and "Video Game Nostalgia." They’re at it again—being evil, that is!Felix Drags Dale Through The Marvel Universe (a podcast)Dylan thwarted Dale's attempts at taking publicity photos.0:10:00Writing for GamesThe Interactive Fiction CompetitionNaNoRenO on ItchThe Outer Worlds has some unusual (and awesome) character-building optionsPatricia HernandezPolygonThe Outer Worlds Will Rattle Your Idea Of A Perfect PlanetGita JacksonKotakuBreaking BongoRadiolabMGSV - Quiet/Ocelot model swap - Rain sceneTactical Modding OperationsYouTubeHeaven's Vault0:35:40ReravelEarly iterations of this game started on a recent Nice Games Jam!Reravel: A Backwards Storytelling GameThe YawhgMicroscopeTracery, a generative tool by Galaxy Kate.1:01:15Video Game NostalgiaSimCityWikipediaCap'n Crunch's Crunching AdventureGiant BombSpot: The Video Game (featuring the 7Up mascot of the time, Spot)WikipediaGlider (originally for classic Apple computers)WikipediaSkiFreeGiant BombRuneScapeGiant BombCommander KeenGiant BombAldo's Adventures gameplay (PC Game, 1987)SquakenetYouTubeJill of the JungleWikipediaJazz JackrabbitWikipediaThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeGiant BombHalo: Reach Launches On PC, Becomes Third Most Played Game On SteamEThan GachKotakuGolden SunGiant BombRed Vs. BlueRooster Teeth

This week on the show, your nice hosts take two very different in-depth approaches to a topic that pops up a lot on the show:  the ever-challenging calendar math!We spoke with Jajeev on a recent episode about UI design.User InterfacesWe recently spoke with Martha's dad about board game design and his work writing cross-compilers for 8-bit computers.Board Game Design0:07:41Calendar Math (Production Schedules)Our guest Eric Johnson went in-depth on Agile development in a recent episode.Agile DevelopmentMark alluded to a pattern that is found in almost everything in nature, but is most frequently studied in language. It's called Zipf's Law, and here's a video from Vsauce on YouTube about it.0:43:23Calendar Math (Real Time in Games)Date and Time Odds, Ends and OdditiesMaggie PintJavaScriptMNSamoa and Tokelau skip a day for dateline changeBBC

Widget Satchel is out! Go buy it on Steam, Itch or Switch! Your Nice Hosts celebrate by talking all about Widget Satchel-related topics, like Metroidvania level design, world building in platformers, and (of course) ferrets!Widget Satchel is out! Buy it on PC and Switch here:Widget Satchel on SteamWidget Satchel on ItchWidget Satchel on the Nintendo E-shopWidget Satchel has ferrets, unlike another recent Switch gameOther meta notes:Protospiel/Minispiel, table top prototyping events0:10:29Metroidvania Level DesignGame Maker’s Tool Kit Boss Keys0:24:26FerretsBlack-footed FerretWikipediaBlack-footed FerretIUCN Red ListWidget Satchel listed on Genuine Mustelids0:40:38World Building in PlatformersBraid on SteamHollow KnightThomas Was Alone on Steam

This week, our boyfriend Dylan gave your nice hosts a prompt to create "a narrative game where the story is told backwards." This one is a slow burn, but it really cooks by the end!With Stephen still away, Dale LaCroix (she of Evil Games Club and your nice social media manager) re-enters in the clubhouse to help create this week's game.But Dale didn't just join your nice hosts for this week's jam. She also took the resulting game and made improvements once the recording stopped! Not only that, but she's going to keep working on it. It will be at Glitch's December Play/Test event if you want to play the latest version!Our original rules are presented below, and Dale's "first revised edition" is presented below that...PromptMake "a narrative game where the story is told backwards."Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count2-4MaterialsEND CARDS: 7 possible endings to your storySETTING CARDS: Places the story could take placePLOT CARDS: Events that might take place in your storyMAIN DECK: This is made up of several different types of cards:Character Cards - Describes the occupation or description of people who will be in your storyNoun Cards - Describes items that will be in your storyEditor Notes - Special instructions from your editor, this might include directions such as this next scene takes place in a different setting, or that someone in your story is not who you think they are.SetupDeal the following:One ‘Setting’ card. Deal face up and place it on top of the Setting deck.Three 'Main Deck' Cards. Deal face up. These will be the Goal Cards; if there are any Editor Note cards, place these at the bottom of the main deck and re-deal so that there are three total Main Deck cards representing the Goal Cards.One ‘The End’ card. Deal face up and place this on top of the Setting deck.Four ‘Plot’ Cards. Deal face down. One will be revealed each round during rounds 2-5.RulesORIGINAL RulesSTEP ONE: Start with the END ScenarioWe randomly selected by rolling a six-sided die, for the six END SCENARIOS:DeathGetting off a planeA big hug / reunionThe end of a weddingGetting on a planeFalling off a cliffAlso pick a character card from the deck - draw and discard until you get one - or roll a 20 sided die and table in step 2STEP TWO: Each Player picks a “card” and adds a detail about the card information that they picked.The FIRST ROUND will be picked from a separate pile of END SCENARIO DETAILS:Wine stainExplosionSight bruise to the upper armKnifeSpilled MilkBloody noseBroken SunglassesFrostbiteSomebody is wearing sweatpantsAn orangeTo mimic a card draw this use the following table:(Roll a 6-sided die, then a 20-sided die)A participantShopkeeperClericMagicianBrideCaptainPeasant/Passenger/GuestBartenderDetectiveChefChild(for 11-20, duplicate 1-10)A settingForestMall/ MarketTavernSchoolMeadowShipBridgeOfficeHomeCastle(for 11-20, duplicate 1-10)An action or event RobberyFightCrashBees!Heart AttackLunchtimeChildish InsultAnkle SprainCaught in TrafficOverslept or Fall Asleep(for 11-20, duplicate 1-10)An item PenCableKnifeOvenCommunication Device (Letter, Phone)MushroomBootCatBookSockFluteArrow(for 13 - 20, more cats, I guess?)ROLL AGAINA participant (use list from 1)STEP THREE: Together the group makes up a story about how each item goes together in this scene to lead up to the established storySTEP FOUR: Repeat for each previous “scene”. Each Scene will take place at some earlier point in time, it may be minutes, hours, days or months earlier. You decide what fits your story best.STEP FIVE: The fifth round is your inciting incident, the event that kicked off your story.SCORING: We haven’t figured this out, we discussed awarding points based on if random events happened during the story, such as:Scoring Events:Bloody NoseWeather EventSomebody TrippedSomebody got dumpedSomebody criesThe Devil shows upSomeone left to go to the bathroomThere was kissingOr awarding points with a judge or game master….UPDATED Rules by Dale"Re-ravel: A backwards storytelling game" (working title)IntroductionHave you ever heard the phrase, a camel is a horse designed by a committee? It’s a proverb about the faults of having too many designers in a room, causing a final poor design. The goal to this game is to write a story with your friends, but to protect against the story trailing off, like so many comedy sketches, your editor came up with the perfect ending, start with the ending! And it turns out there are only so many endings in human playbook.Each Game is made out of 5 Rounds or Acts, each moving backward in time.Three cards from the main deck are selected as goal cards. These can be used in your story at any time. Using each card is worth 1 million points for the team. If an editor note card selected as a goal card, this should be discarded to the bottom of the main deck.The last round, representing the first part of your story, will be the inciting incident.GoalCreate a coherent story while using each of the three elements from the goal cards with your writing committeeRound 1: The End RoundEach Player draws a card. For this round only, if you get a Editor’s note, redrawOne at a time. each player reveals their card, and creates one detail or fact about the item or character that they drew, and places the card near the ‘End Card.’ This fact should not relate to anything already placed on the board. The order of players does not matterExamples:Character Card - the Cleric - the cleric has a fancy hatItem Card - Wine Stain - the wine stain is on somebody’s white shirtItem Card - An Orange - The orange is part of basket of fake fruitTogether the players craft a scene in which all the elements are used, and results in the ending within the setting. At any time the players may pull in the elements on the goal cardsRounds 2-4: The Middle RoundsEach Player draws a card.Each player reveals their cardAdds a detail about their card (as in round one) unless it is a ‘Editor’s Note’ CardPlaces the card near the next face down Plot CardIf a Editor’s Note Card is drawn, follow the directions on the card.When all the elements of the story, the Plot Card is then revealed.The players then craft the scene. They must use all the elements that were revealed this round. They may use any elements that were revealed in the previous round (i.e. later in the story). They may use any of the elements from the goal cards at any time. The scene should connect and make story-scene with the other scenes that have been crafted.Round 5: The Final Round, i.e. the beginning of the StoryEach Player draws a card.Each player reveals their cardAdds a detail about their card (as in round one) unless it is a ‘Editor’s Note’ CardPlaces the card near the next face down Plot CardIf a Editor’s Note Card is drawn, follow the directions on the card - Unless it is a Epilogue card  or other card that places this out of order - please redrawWhen all the elements of the story, the Plot Card is then revealed.The players craft the first scene. They must use all the elements that were revealed this round. They may use any elements that were revealed in the previous round (ie later in the story). They may use any elements of the goal cards at any time. The scene should connect and make story-scene with the other scenes that have been crafted AND this should somehow start the story (the inciting incident) - How does this plot point kick off the rest of the story.END of GAME:Optional: Retell the story in the forwards directionAward your Committee the following points:1 million points for each goal element used in the story100 points if your story made any sense.500 bonus points if you had a really difficult element you had to fit into your story.

Nice Games Club Social Media Manager (and Evil Games Co-host) Dale LaCroix joins us to discuss Localization and Navigation, both in games and IRL. Is Google Translate enough for your game? Will your awesome pun work in Spanish? What do Ikea and airports have to do with level design? Stick around past the outro for more Dale Travel Tips!0:18:42LocalizationGamedev Polyglot Google Spreadsheet1:00:52NavigationWant To Learn About Game Design? Go To IkeaJamin WarrenReadwriteIKEA, and the Logic of Video Game DesignDaniel GoldingKotaku1:23:55Dale’s Additional Travel TipsGoogle MapsDrury Hotels

With Mark still away, Ellen returns to in the clubhouse for another episode! This week, she invited her husband, strategy consultant / Agile coach / Scrum Master Eric Johnson, to discuss Agile Development and iterative workflows.Agile DevelopmentProductionWhy people still believe in the Waterfall model - Tarmo ToikkanenAn Agile Approach to Launching the Nordstrom Sunglass Application - Nicoli Sinclair, Temple UniversityEric JohnsonGuestEric Johnson is an Agile coach and Advanced Certified Scrum Master (A-CSM). He also makes delicious homemade sauerkraut. You can find him on LinkedIn here.

Mark is away this week, so Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us once again as a guest host! We get philosophical and reflective in this episode, talking about finding "fidelity" and taking in constructive criticism. What can you make abstract in your game and what needs to be realistic? How do you take negative feedback with grace? Is it the players who are wrong, or are you just not asking the right questions?Ellen Burns-Johnson on TwitterWidget Satchel announced! 0:03:45Finding FidelityValve Knuckles controllersFoundry10 Portal 2 curriculum0:26:06Taking FeedbackThe Invisible Gorilla ExperimentHiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerus (NSFW)Flight of the ConchordsYouTube

It's story time this week in the clubhouse. Featuring updates on projects from Martha, endless family game fights with Stephen, and Mark's shady past as a rhythm game DJ (he needed the money, but there was no money)."Unpacking" is planned for a late 2020 release.0:04:49Multi-Generational GamingYoshi’s Crafted World dev comments on the game’s difficulty@NE_BrianNintendo EverythingSingle-player Canfield Solitaire has "a very low probability of winning"Wikipedia0:32:44Noble FailuresI, Robot (arcade game)WikipediaPreservationists Are Racing to Save Ouya's Games Before They DisappearNicole CarpenterViceHere's a video of the RBN Megamix project for Rock Band Network that Mark worked on and "DJ'ed." If you have Rock Band 4, you can still download it here for Xbox One, although it's no longer free (sadly, Mark doesn't get royalties for it).

"HONK!" It's time for another Nice Games Bulletin! We talk about recent releases, game industry news...and also Star Trek news because we can't help it.Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:05:51Untitled Goose Game Review - The Joys Of Goosing Around - Kimberly Wallace, Game InformerThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is the perfect Zelda for younger fans - Russ Frushtick, PolygonShould Your Boyfriend Play Legend of Zelda: Link’s Untitled Goose Game? - Girlfriend Reviews, YouTubeHow Gears of War changed to become Xbox Game Pass’ biggest launch - Owen S. Good, PolygonWhat the Golf?Return of the Obra Dinn docks on consoles this month - Owen S. Good, PolygonJohn Wick HexRing Fit AdventureLuigi's Mansion 3Bulletin topic (News) Star Trek NewsTimecode0:29:24Star Trek NewsStar Trek: Picard NYCC Trailer - CBS All Access, YouTubeStar Trek: Discovery - Season 3 NYCC Teaser Trailer - CBS All Access, YouTubeStar Trek: Short Treks Q&A Trailer - CBS All Access (Video) - CBS All Access, YouTubeBulletin topic (News) Video Game NewsTimecode0:34:59Video Game NewsUnion NewsMonument Valley developer Ustwo threatened with legal action over union busting - Chris Kerr, Game DeveloperKickstarter Union (Twitter)Troy Baker Says He Didn’t Voice Rhys In Borderlands 3 Because "They Wouldn’t Go… - Cecilia D’Anastasio, KotakuOther NewsDifficulty is about trust and communication, not "hard" vs. "easy" - Jennifer Scheurle, PolygonRocket League is Replacing Loot Boxes With "Blueprints" - Luke Plunkett, Kotaku

Your nice hosts catch up on all the game releases that gamedev Twitter was going on about during the last few weeks. We then talk about how it all comes together, and revisit an old topic, now that nearly three years have passed and so much has changed.The latest game trailer to submit to the #StephenTest is "Reginald Does His Thang" by Gibrian Foltz. Available now on Steam and Itch!Stephen is working on a new game, the just announced Rhythm Rumble!Apple Arcade: Game Developers Still Don’t Have Answers They Need - Nate Swanner, DiceDevelopers Cash In By Selling Their Switch Games For Pennies - Stephen J. Bronner, Kotaku0:20:11Holistic Game Design0:49:10Work/Life Balance

It's our 150th episode! To celebrate we finally have Martha's dad David R. Megarry on the show to talk about designing board games and specifically designing the fantasy adventure board game Dungeon! We get to hear the inspiration behind some of the now iconic game mechanics, unexpected lessons he learned along the way and why community is so important to a game designer. We even hear some stories Martha didn't know before!Board Game DesignGame DesignTabletopSecrets of Blackmoor documentaryDungeon!It's sold many places including Powell’s bookstore in Portland, OR.On the Board Game Geek page for Dungeon! you can see pictures of many different editions of the game- including different iterations of the board, cards and player pieces.A historically accurate version of the game made a cameo on an episode of Stranger Things! [ADD PHOTO HERE]PentantastarDavid R. MegarryGuestDave created the game Dungeon! and was part of the creation of Dungeons and Dragons.External linkFacebookDungeon Youtube channel

It's another Nice Games Jam! This time, our boyfriend Dylan sent in a particularly interesting challenge, asking your nice hosts to design a game where the player's load-out impacts the game's controls.After an aborted attempt to make it into a game consisting of physical props, we came up with a very strange concept for a video game where you equip and battle a bunch of different controllers as if they were Pokémon or something!PromptDesign a game where the player's load-out impacts the game's controls.Game typePaper prototypePlayer count2-4MaterialsA controller of your choosingPieces to "slot" to your controller's buttonsSetup"Buttons and Triggers and Sticks, Oh My!" (Prototype)In this game, you control a "battlebot" vehicle that you configure using equipment and weapons that are auctioned off between players before the match. The twist is that your bot is a vehicle shaped like the actual controller you play the game with, and its capabilities are determined by the physical configuration of the input elements. Want a different bot, you gotta plug in a different controller!ControllersEach controller, from a knock-off Xbox 360 controller to a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, has a list of "inventory slots" which line up with the physical controller's buttons and input elements. Items placed in these slots are "attached" to the in-game representation of the controller.Each controller also has general properties such as hull strength and overall weight, and controllers with special properties like rumble, motion controls, or expansion ports would have additional in-game potential. Additionally, wired controllers would have different properties than wireless controllers, etc.EquipmentEach piece of equipment has the following characteristics:TypeMovementEnginesRanged weaponsMelee weaponsTraps/environmentShieldsBonus/special itemsStats: depends on type. Engines would have speed/power stats and weapons would have damage stats, for example.Input compatibility: Which set of buttons, sticks, and/or triggers can this equipment be attached to? For example, the Z button on a Saturn controller is a face button, but it's a trigger on a Nintendo 64 controller. A machine gun might be placed on a trigger, or it could be placed on an analog stick and work as a turret! Maybe certain items can only be placed on controllers that have a "Select" button, etc.RulesAuctionPlayers configure their loudouts from stratch before every match, at the same time, using an auction system. Pieces of equipment comes up for auction one-by-one.First, players are given vague information about the next item up for bid, and may pre-bid for it, gambling that it will be something useful to them.If no player pre-bids for the item, it is fully revealed and players bid normally for it. Certain items will be incompatible for certain controllers, but a player may wish to bid on it anyway to deny it to another player (maybe they can then "melt down" the unwanted piece of equipment for some other resource).This process continues either until all players are out of resources, or all the items (some subset of the total items in the game) have been put up for auction.Resources could be limited, meaning that high-bidding contests would result in weaker players and more tactical, less chaotic matches (since all equipment would be expensive). Alternately, resources could be plentiful, providing players with lots of options, and any left over resources could be used to power and/or upgrade equipment, providing some motivation not to overspend for equipment.GameplayBattles would be essentially multiplayer deathmatchs, where each player operates the equipment they've equipped to thier vehicle by using the input element they've assigned it to.Battles would be heavily focused on targeting other players various equipment, in order to disable or destroy them.Play could work using a 3rd person "Mario Kart/Twisted Metal battle mode" style of skill-based play, or perhaps it could use a Fallout VATS style targeting system where players would need to assign targets in real-time but would only need to hit the other player (letting an RNG system determine how successful the hit was)The game might include other genre staples like item pickups (energy, ammo, etc).Campaign/Progression?Outside of regular matches, perhaps players could run campaigns where the results of each match would provide winnings that they can later use to upgrade their vehicle or purchase new equipment.

This week Martha just got back from the XOXO Festival and Conference in Portland! She gives a run down of all the cool video game related content and what it was like to be there. Then Stephen talks all about Randomization and how you can use it to enhance or detract from your game. Stephen manipulates the RNG, Mark doesn’t understand loot color coding, and Martha just wants to sort things.0:19:53XOXO FestivalXOXO websitePIG (Portland Indie Game Squad)Rose City GamesSmallbü animationLater AlligatorBrian David Gilbert of Polygon’s “Unraveled” video series about ridiculous vide…Here are the instructions and character sheets for calculating your pet’s HPEmma Kinema of Game Workers UniteHundred Rabbits0:52:05RandomizationProcedural generation episode"Mutual butt-kicking." Loot episode"There's loot in your DNA!"“If Your Office was an RPG”Rooster Teeth

It's still Wednesday in the clubhouse, which means an extra-long meta section where your nice hosts discuss showing off games at the recent 2DCon convention, Martha maturing both as a person and a culture, and what it feels like to have your words translated into Japanese.Oh, and we talk about designing rumble for your game, and close out the show with a great discussion about making games designed for unique spaces, including perhaps a preview of a future Nice Games Jam.Widget Satchel in being translated into Japanese! Neat!Adobe's page about Source Han Serif, one of their open-source CJK fonts.Source Han Sans on GitHub!Martha and Mark both missed TypeCon!0:21:27RumbleSony's first rumble controller was the PlayStation Dual Analog Controller (in J…WikipediaNintendo's HD Rumble will be the best unused Switch feature of 2017Sean BuckleyEngadgetRead about the lawsuit which was the likely cause of the lack of rumble in the …Wikipedia0:47:04Making Games for SpacesRead about the Riddle Mia This installation.Our previous episode on Game Instalations."Ugly and hard to use."Our previous episode on Physical Games."We should go outside!"Our previous episode on Escape Rooms (with Art Allen)Puzzle/Escape Rooms"Seattle Immersive’s ‘Romeo & Juliet’ has audiences on their feet"Misha BersonThe Seattle Times

It's Nice Games Bulletin time! We bring you all the news from the video game world leaving no stone unturned. We’ve got news in all varieties- Nice News, Medium News, Bad News and Dad News! So much news! Join your Nice Hosts as we sort it all out.Photo credit: Foam Sword Games- Knights and Bikes promo screenshotBulletin topic (Recent releases)Games:Knights and BikesMan of MedianControlRemnant: From the AshesAstral ChainTelling LiesAncestors: The Humankind OdysseyMonster Hunter World IceborneNBA 2K20Gears of War 5Anodyne 2Local game! Listen to our interview with Marina Kittika here to learn all about how she created the game’s lo-fi aestheticBulletin topic (News)Timecode0:16:10PAX stuff is happening/has happened!Friend of the show Beth Korth was on a panel at PAX DEV about diversity consulting but since there doesn’t seem to be a way to watch it yet check out our interview with her about Narrative Design!Bulletin topic (News) Not Nice News :( Timecode0:17:29Not Nice News :( Game Informer layoffsPeople you should totally hire because they are amazing:Matt Bertz Elise Favis Javy GwaltnyKyle Hilliard Imran KhanJeff MarchiafavaSuriel VazquezContent Warning: sexual assault and abuse- if you don’t want to hear discussion about these topics please skip from [19:59] to [23:50]New allegations of sexual assault surface against established game devs - Kris Graft, Game DeveloperContent Warning: transphobia, homophobia, sexism - if you don’t want to hear discussion about these topics skip from [23:50] to [28:41]Ion Fury Developer Backtracks, Says It Won’t Remove Gay Joke Because Of ‘Censor… - Nathan Grayson, KotakuBulletin topic (News) Medium News :/Medium News :/“Two People Who Didn’t Work At Telltale Games Say They’re Bringing Back Telltal… - Jason Schreier, KotakuBulletin topic (News) Nice News Now :)Timecode0:30:01Nice News Now :)“A Remaster Of Disney’s Classic Lion King and Aladdin Games Is Coming In Fall” - Mike Fahey, Kotaku“Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary G… - Cecilia D’Anastasio, Kotaku“Hey, remember When Star Trek Did Galaxy’s Edge, 20 Years Before Star Wars?” - James Whitbrook, IO9GDC Summit talk submissions are open August 29-September 30, 2019. Submit your …“Play retro 8-bit sports in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020” - Samit Sarkar, Polygon

This week your nice hosts are joined in the clubhouse by visual artist and games UI designer Jajeev Nithiananda. He talks the good and bad of game UI, working with demanding clients and argumentative co-workers, and explains how function and form must work together to create a good experience for the player.User InterfacesArtUI / UXPGA TOUR Golf Shootout on Google Play and iOS App Store.UI Breakdown: Metroid Prime - SYH, MediumThe Long, Desperate Search To Understand Poise In 'Dark Souls 3 - Patrick Klepek, ViceLessons Learned Creating UI for The Division - Christian Savoie, GDCJajeev NithianandaGuestJajeev is a UI Designer for PIXELakes, previously a UI Designer for Concrete Software.External linkArtStationInstagram

This week your Nice Hosts break open Power Fantasies and Indie Game Trailers and analyze what makes them work! Can boredom be a game mechanic? Is the age old storytelling rule "show don't tell" actually bad advice for indie game trailers? Can a power fantasy game really ever have too many explosions??Picture credit Gearbox SoftwareIf you have a trailer for your game and want to get some feedback on it send us a link on Twitter to see if it gets the "Stephen Would Actually Watch This" Seal of Approval!Game Devs of Color Expo TalksFriends of the show gave talks! Aubrey Scott talks at 49:57 and Evva Kraikul is on a panel at 4:07:54.Swimsanity (If your team includes two brothers it has to be sea themed)Worker Bee is publishing Widget Satchel in Japan!The Ooblets team is amazing and you should plan on buying the game on the Epic …(Ooblets was going to be published by Double Fine until Double Fine was bought …0:18:08Power FantasiesMonster Den was a game store/event space in Minneapolis where Martha first played Halo- there is a different game store there now called Dreamers Vault Games0:43:27Game TrailersWidget Satchel Trailer

Ellen is back to help out with a Nice Games Jam! Our prompt: create a JRPG-inspired game in under an hour. But like any good JRPG, it took twice as long to complete as expected...Ellen's handwritten notes are worth a look! (PDF) And here's the Wikipedia page for Weevil, which Ellen wanted you to see.PromptWhat would the Nice Games Club take on a JRPG be? Do thatGame typePaper prototypePlayer count2SetupA two-person pen-and-paper RPG. One player portrays the party of ants, and the other player controls all enemies and narrates the story as the GM.The StoryYour queen is dying, and for unknown reasons (foreshadowing!) your colony is running out of resources. You, a young worker ant, and your party of misfits must set out from your home to collect the extra food and supplies needed to save your colony, battling foes and overcoming challenges along the way!RulesThe PartyWorker Ant (Player protagonist)Bite (attack): 2Carry (inventory): 5Exo (armor): +0Ability: "Defend" - Once per encounter, secretly choose (and write down) a party member. The next attack against that character will automatically fail. This remains in effect until an enemy attacks the selected player, or the player uses their ability.Soldier AntBite (attack): 3Carry (inventory): 4Exo (armor): +2Ability: "Command" - Once per encounter, use this ability to grant an automatic success on a party member's next attack.Flying AntBite (attack): 1Carry (inventory): 3Exo (armor): -1Ability: "Fly" - Once per encounter, choose an attack target, then exit play for this round. This character cannot be attacked by a non-flying enemy until they return at the start of the next round, when the attack is executed (as long as the target is currently in play).Weevil (in disguise)Bite (attack): 1Carry (inventory): 4Exo (armor): +4Ability: "Push" - Once per encounter, you can select an enemy to remove from play until the end of the round. This enemy cannot attack or be attacked.All party members have 10 hit points (HP).Party stats Move: 4Overworld The GM prepares a map on a 20x20 grid, with multiple paths, each ending with a resource. This map is kept hidden the player. The player has their own map, which starts out blank. The GM draws new information on this map as the player uncovers it.Each path on the map has the following information/stats:Sense threshold (the number the player must roll above to detect its existence)The shape and length of the path on the map.The "peril value" representing the number added to random encounter checks (1-3).The type of resource at the end of the path (food, item, etc. During our playthough, we only used food).The amount/value of the resource at the end of the path (food: 1-3)Paths don't all have to start from the origin point of the party. Some can begin in the middle of another paths, but the party can only discover a path if they are within sensing range of the beginning (how near is that? Um, we didn't figure that out).Overworld turn sequenceSense check: Player rolls 1d10. This value is compared against the "sense threshold" of each path which is within sensing range of the party. All paths whose sense threshold is equal to or below the value of the roll is "discovered" by the player. For each path whose sensing threshold is below the value of the roll, the player rolls another 1d10. The higher the roll result, the more information is revealed about it (1-3 no info, 4-7 some info, 9-10 all info). The exact information revealed is up to the GMs discretion. Paths which are revealed as a result of the initial roll being equal to the sensing threshold are discovered but no extra roll is made and no information is revealed.Move: Player chooses a path and advances along it equal to the number of spaces of the party's "move" stat.Random encounter check: The GM rolls 1d10. The "peril value" of the current path is added to the roll. The value is checked against an encounter table. This table (which, oops, we didn't create) would have more dangerous encounters the larger the number is, while the low range of numbers (say 1-4) would have no encounter at all.Sense points During the episode, we discussed letting the player "bank" sense points. For example, a player rolls a 9 on a sense check, but only chooses to use 6 and save the other 3. The GM then treats it as if the player rolled of 6, and the player now has 3 points to add as a modifier to future rolls.Enemy Encounters At the start of each round of battle, the player and the GM roll 1d10 for initiative. The higher roll goes first.Each character has one action per round. Initiative passes between the player and the GM and the round is over when all characters and enemies have taken an action.ActionsAttack: This is an opposed roll. The attacking character rolls 1d10. The defending character rolls 1d10, plus its Exo modifier. In the case of a successful attack, the defending character loses HP equal to attacker's attack stat. If the roll (including modifiers) is a tie, both players roll again with no modifiers to determine the result.Ability: The character may use their ability instead of attacking.After the player's party defeats certain opponents, its body can be converted into resources, which use up the "carry" stats of various party members, distributed as the player sees fit.Obtaining resources Once the party reaches the end of a path, the GM rolls 1d10 (in secret) to determine the state of the resources in this area. We develop a table for this during the episode, but it might go something like:1 - 2: All resources are immediately available to collect. 3 - 5: Resources are trapped, players must attack or dismantle a barrier of some kind. The Exo value of the barrier is equal to this roll and the barrier's HP value is equal to a second 1d10 roll by the GM. 6 - 9: Resources are hidden, with this value being the threshold value the player must roll above in order to discover them one by one. 10: Resources are completely inaccessible.If resources are trapped or hidden, the player can roll 1d10 to find them or attack the barrier to release them. After each attempt, an encounter check is made, so players will have to make calculated risks.Once the player collects all resources, or declines further attempts to collect them, the party returns to the home colony, unloads thier resources, heals all their HP, and starts again on a new path.Once the player brings 30 pieces of food (or some other metric of resources) back to the colony, the colony is saved! ...OR SO IT SEEMS!!The Big Twist!This is a JRPG-inspired game, so now it's time to turn the tables, expand the world to a preposterous scale, and raise the stakes as high (or higher) than makes any sense.What the story twist is will be determined using a die roll from the GM.1 - 3: An Evil Weevil Infiltration It turns out the weevil in your party isn't the only "ant imposter" in your colony! Via a tearful confession, your weevil friend reveals that they have had a change of heart and must tell you the truth... your queen, and much of the high guard who protects the colony, have been replaced by EVIL WEEVILS in disguise! No wonder resources have been limited: The weevils have been stealing them! It's now up to you and your party to stop the them and win back your homeland!4 - 6: Nearby Colony Has Incredibly Advanced Technology A huge rumble shakes the ground. Suddenly, a fleet of dragonflies descends at the edge of the colony, dispensing super-soldier ants from a neighboring colony, who have somehow obtained unimaginably powerful technology. No wonder resources have been limited: the neighboring colony has developed... industry, evaporating water reserves and contaminating local food supplies! It's now up to you and your party to shut down their terrible war machine and bring peace back to the colony!7 - 9: The Truman Show Ending Wait, what's that? A violent shake disrupts the ground below, the walls around, and the ceilings above you! It's as if the entire colony has been knocked around and then dropped from a great height. Well, that's exactly what happened! It turns out, you've all been living in a large, artificial ant farm! No wonder resources have been limited: the human who is supposed to feed and take take of you has neglected their duties. It's now up to you and your party to rescue the members of your colony from this disaster, and find a way to break free of the plastic shell that represents your entire reality!10: Roll again!

While Stephen is away at the Game Devs of Color Expo in New York, Ellen Burns-Johnson joins in the club house to discuss organizing your game library and what to do when you actually know nothing about marketing. Martha throws it in the 'eh' pile, Mark delegates, and Ellen has it all under control.Game Devs of Color Expo 2019Depression and the Solace of 'Grinding' in Online Games - Julie Muncy, Wired0:02:49Game LibrariesHow to deal with your Steam backlogMichael McWhertorPolygonAdobe Flash Debug Downloads - The "Flash Player Projector" can open SWF files from your desktop or from a URL. It is a portable application that doesn't need to be installed.2064: Read Only Memories - Turing Collector's Plush (SOLD OUT, to Martha's lame…When your nice hosts went to Seattle for PodCon this year, they visited the Liv…Mark has been watching a lot of "old tech" content on YouTube latelyTechnology ConnectionsYouTubeThe 8-Bit GuyYouTube0:28:08Marketing 001How, why, when and how much to pay for indie game marketing?TavroxMediumBest PR, Marketing & Community Talks / GDC 2019Thomas ReiseneggerMedium

This week, your nice hosts are joined by Marina Kittaka, artist and co-developer on the upcoming Anodyne 2: Return to Dust.Marina made the 30-foot journey from her desk to the clubhouse in order to discuss Anodyne's theme of nostalgia, the "personal" authenticity of the game's lo-fi PS1-era aesthetics, jumping in to her first 3D project, leveraging your limitations, and more!Nostalgia and the Lo-fi AestheticArtWishlist/purchase Anodyne 2: Return to Dust on:Steam | Itch.io | Kartridge | GoGSean Han Tani (@sean_HTCH) is Marina's development partner. His solo game All Our Asias was a inspiration for their current collaboration.Analgesic Productions' previous titles:AnodyneEven the OceanMarina KittakaGuestMarina Kittaka is co-developer of Anodyne and upcomign Anodyne 2: Return to Dust. As well as games such as Even the Ocean, how do you Do It, and Secrets Agent. She works in illustration and comics.External linkmarinakittaka.comMarina on twitter @even_kei

This week your Nice Hosts appear out of nowhere to discuss Stealth Games and Motion Controls! Mark shoots lasers, Stephen time travels and Martha joins a geriatric gang.Dishonored 2 cover art copyright Bethesda.0:01:30Stealth GamesBanana Bread (Griffin & Justin of Polygon play SpyParty)PolygonYouTubeGiant Bomb Plays Hitman Let's PlaysFly On The WallYouTubeWhy Fashion in (Most) Games Sucks, and Why You Should CareVictoria TranGDCOur Interview with Freya Holmér of Neat Corporation maker of Budget CutsSelf-education, et al.Spider-Man is (Definitely Not) Murdering PeopleBrian David Gilbert, PolygonYouTubeLevel Design Workshop: A Narrative Approach to Level Design (Or, why Die Hard g…Jolie MenzelGDC0:28:52Motion ControlsSega ActivatorSega's Forgotton Motion GameRerezYouTubeMicrosoft "Microsoft announces an Azure-powered Kinect camera for enterprise"Brian HeaterTechCrunchRhythm Game Accessories on Wikipedia (including the Rock Band pro controller)Wikipedia

This week, your nice hosts talk about a pair of game genres that none of them are that wild about, and Mortho returns to brighten the proceedings!Our previous episode on "unloved" topics: “Try it once!”"Try it once."You Never Realized Fonts Could Be This Exciting - Mike Fahey, KotakuDonut County is the Anti-Katamari - Marcus Estrada, Hardcore GamerSlay the Spire is my favorite game to lose  - Jeff Ramos, Polygon0:16:46Designing Horror GamesDownload Stephen's horror game Infectious!How the Resident Evil 2 remake's Mr. X actually worksWesley Yin-PooleEurogamerThe Difference Between Horror Movies And Horror GamesHeather AlexandraKotaku0:44:37Designing Sports GamesMark couldn't find anything about the Minnesota professional basketball teams discussed in the episode, but he did find "Who wins a fight to the death, Lynx vs Wolf?" on Quora.Why Is Tennis Scored So Weirdly?Merrill FabryTimeMichael Chabon Will Showrun Star Trek: PicardJames WhitbrookIO9Anti-loot box bill poses a real threat to sports video gamesOwen S. GoodPolygon

All the news that fit to pod! Mark makes a Mario, Martha adds things to her wishlist and Stephen gets mad at his TV.Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:00:42Super Mario Maker 2: Building On Success - Kyle Hilliard, Game InformerBloodstained: Ritual of the Night: The Kotaku Review - Joshua Rivera, KotakuThe making of Samurai Showdown (2019) - Alex Kane, PolygonCrash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled: No Rust On This Ride - Andrew Reiner, Game InformerCadence of Hyrule is the best Zelda spinoff ever made - Russ Frushtick, PolygonHarry Potter: "Wizards Unite" Improves On What Makes Pokemon Go Great" - Gita Jackson, KotakuBulletin topic (News)Timecode0:18:01Summer Games Done Quick raised over 3 million dollars for Doctors Without Borde…Devs hit by Steam promo confusion as games are pulled from Wishlists - Chris Kerr, Game DeveloperDr. Disrespect Doesn’t Seem To Be Taking His Twitch Ban Very Seriously - Nathan Grayson, KotakuTwitched app removed from Roku - RedditThe Human Cost of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - Jason Schreier, KotakuValve Index Review - The Enthusiast’s Choice - Ben Lang, Road to VRSomeone Turned Mario Into A Battle Royale, And It’s The Best Thing - Heather Alexandra, KotakuHere’s how to save up to $360 on Xbox Game Pass over 3 years (The article says … - David Carnoy, CNETWe might get a Myst movie, TV series, and even a reality show - Susana Polo, PolygonThe Mouse Guard Movie Is Officially Dead, But This Demo Reel Shows What Could’v… - James Whitbrook, GizmodoMicrosoft, Nintendo, and Sony say [the president]’s tariffs on China will hurt … - Charlie Hall, PolygonEpic says it’ll eventually stop pushing for exclusives - Tyler Wilde, PC Gamer

This week, we welcome friend of the show Matt Gravelle into the clubhouse to talk about the ups and downs of, and lessons learned from, the decade-plus history of his indie game company, Graveck Interactive.Topics include the early days of Unity, holding the top-selling spot in the iOS App Store for months(!), weird guidelines from film studios on licensed web games, creating VR experiences for medical applications, and more!Running An Indie StudioIRLGet Optica on Android, iOS, or Steam!OpticaGet Strata on Android, iOS or Steam!StrataMatt GravelleGuestMatt Gravelle is co-owner and director of production of Gravek Interactive.

Stephen has been working on patches for Treasure Stack and Mark has been busy getting age ratings around the world for Widget Satchel so this episode is jam packed with knowledge! Mark tricks his parents, Martha hides from E.T. and Stephen balances the game.Game Devs of ColorBlack Mirror’s ‘Striking Vipers’ uses fighting games to flirt with the theme of… - Gretchen Felker-Martin, PolygonThe Black Mirror Fighting Game Episode was Out of Control - Gita Jackson, Kotaku0:15:29Patches and Add-on ContentTreasure Stack on Steam (check out the patch notes to see an example of the patches Stephen has been working on)Asset Bundles Unity DocsUnity0:15:29International Age Ratings SystemsPEGI Ratings (Europe + Israel)ESRB Ratings (USA + Canada)IARC Ratings  The IARC Rating system translates to many different international rating systems (like PEGI and ESRB) through surveys in digital storefront submission processes. Notable rating boards that do not participate in IARC are JERO (Japan) and GRB (Korea)

Stephen's back from E3, and brought back tales of standing in line, going out at night, and staying in on Thursday. But before hearing about all the unreleased games Stephen played while in Los Angeles, your nice hosts discuss all the news and announcements from the show.0:05:28Google Stadia at E3 20190:16:57Microsoft E3 2019E3 2019: ID@Xbox Shines the Spotlight on Amazing Independent GamesLisa TrottXbox WireThe SDK 'Power Mac G5' for the Xbox 360Soutenir le blogjournaldulapinUltra-high-speed SSD is 'the key' to next-gen PS5Anthony GarreffaTweakTown0:22:49Bethesda at E3 2019"How to make a perfect E3 press conference (or drinking game)" PolygonYouTube"Deathloop: Everything we know so far" Heather WaldGamesRadar0:34:50Square Enix at E3 2019"Marvel's Avengers: Is it Connected to Spider-Man PS4?"Rob LeaneDen of Geek0:38:27Nintendo at E3 2019"The Story of Zelda: Link's Awakening" Gaming Historian YouTube"Everything We Noticed From The Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Teaser" Joseph StanicharGame Informer0:54:37Others at E3 20190:56:03Stephen’s Travelogue!That shop in Little Tokyo Stephen visited was Retro Game Camp LA.When the power went out at E3, Nintendo was preparedMichael McWhertorPolygon

This week is another Nice Games Jam! We got a prompt from Martha's Boyfriend Dylan to "make a puzzle game that includes a written document that updates as you play." You can play the game we came up with in the episode using the rules in the show notes below!PromptMake a puzzle game that requires a text/readme file or some other sort of text thing that you have to use as a guide to figure out the game. Then as the level progresses, the guide changes, to be harder to understand, or to tell a story, or to taunt.Game typeTabletop gamePlayer count2MaterialsSome set of blocks (we used 10 cubes), different colorsPencil/PenPaperSetupThe Codemaker comes up with sequence of blocksRulesThe Codemaker creates a list of four rules to help the Codebreaker player guess the sequence Rules cannot specifically place a cube in a place in the sequenceRules can only involve one relationship between two sets of cubesRead first rule, and the Codebreaker creates a pattern based on ruleIf the sequence is not correct, read the next rule and have the Codebreaker make a new pattern based on the revealed set of rulesRepeat until the player has created the correct patternIf the Codebreaker needs more than the four rules, the code maker then makes a new rule immediately, and the Codebreaker makes a new sequence with these rules.The Codemaker can call for a mulligan up to 3 times total in the game so the player can make a new pattern with the same sets of rulesScored based how many rules are needed before the code breaker solves the sequenceSome example rules: 1. No same colors touching2. If a sequence of colors appears in the line, it must appear again in reverse3. Green cubes appear before yellow cubes4. Pink cubes appear in-between red cubes5. Any brown cube must touch a dark green cube6. A brown cube may not touch a red cube or a yellow cube7. Light versions of colors come before dark versions of colors

This week in the clubhouse, Stephen wants do more with less, Mark wants to do more with more, and Martha wants to do less to more."Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language"  - Gretchen McCulloch, book"Your conference is too damn big"  - John Pavlus, Fast Company"The Game Design Studio on a Boat"  - Clinton Nguyen, ViceEvil Games Club co-host Dale is now tweeting for us! Follow us for behind-the-microphone goodness: @nicegamesclub.We're always trying to get feedback, but it's hard! So Dale is encouraging gamedevs to start using #FeedbackFriday on Twitter as a way for to get opinions from their peers on things they're working on. Try it out this Friday!0:07:06Extra Modes"Assassin's Creed Isn't Necessarily Done With Multiplayer" Jordan RaméeGameSpot"Why City Trial is the most memorable part of Kirby Air Ride" Chris HovermaleDestructoid"Fortnite Battle Royale Took Two Months to Develop and Launch" Derek NicholsGameRant"Riot got rid of League of Legends’ URF mode because it made people stop playin…Ali JonesPCGamesN"Threading the Needle: The Making of Quake Team Fortress" David CraddockShacknews"The making of Gwent" Phil SavagePC Gamer"Where Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker came from" Michael McWhertorPolygon0:41:31Unit Testing"Unit testing with Jasmine: The very basics" Aurel Kurtuladev.toTesting Unity Projects ilkinulasGitHubNUnit framework"Unit Testing Tutorial: What is, Types, Tools, EXAMPLE" Guru99Guru99.com"What is Unit Testing, Why We Use It, and Sample Test Cases" Lets Build That AppYouTubeTesting Computer Software, 2nd edition Cem Kanerbook"The 100% code coverage problem"Jeroen Mols

This week we have Beth Korth of Howling Moon Software back to talk about Narrative Design and her process for designing and writing Verdant Skies! We talk all about the creative process from creating ideas in her head to writing in a markup language Andy created so she could control the game as she wrote dialogue and cut scenes.Narrative Design NarrativeBeth's NotebookNaming the gameDesigning Heart Events:More on "Verdant Skies"Verdant Skies WebsiteVerdance Skies on SteamVerdance Skies on Itch.ioVerdance Skies on Humble StoreVerdance Skies on Kartragehttps://www.kartridge.com/games/HowlingMoonSW/verdant-skiesSteam GreenlightVerdant Skies Code CommentCode Comment: "Verdant Skies"Martha plays Verdant SkiesNice Plays: "Verdant Skies" (2018)Beth KorthGuestBeth Korth is a narrative designer, and the Chair of the Twin Cities chapter of the Independent Game Developers Association.External link@BethKorthVerdant Skies

This week in the clubhouse, Stephen breaks the ice, Martha dreams of writing passwords, and Mark makes a Jurassic Park reference (@ us if you recognize it!).Our pal Abdiwak Yohannes is making Boji:Boji theme song on Soundcloud! - Abdiwak YohannesBoji in action! - @heyglitch, TwitterBoji Animated! - @heyglitch, TwitterRegular news"Super Mario Maker 2 news dump"  - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaMark "invented" the Semi-Automatic Mario level genre for the original Super Mario Maker! It did not catch on...We played the Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2 for one of our Nice Plays video episodes. Martha hated it.Nice Plays: Super Mario Bros. 2 [Japan] (1986)0:13:08Game Length"Assassin’s Creed Odyssey really picks up after the first 15 hours" Ben KucheraPolygon"Length Matters" Ben LindberghThe Ringer0:44:41Saving and Loading Systems"Saved, But Not Forgotten: The evolution of saving in video games" Mark ChristianTedium"In Dishonored, You're Either a Cheater or a Serial Killer" Chris Kohler and Chris BakerWiredLOVE, a “challenging but fair platformer.”Nintendo.com"How to Hack Your Game Saves: A Basic Guide to Hex Editing" Alex WongNull ByteWe talked with Andy Korth about how he developed forward compatibility for the save system in Verdant Skies (among other topics) on an episode of Code Comment.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"We talked with Andy Korth about how he developed forward compatibility for the save system in Verdant Skies (among other topics) on an episode of Code Comment.Code Comment: "Verdant Skies"

This week on Nice Games Club we rack up a ridiculous number of points while discussing scoring systems, lives and continues! We debate whether these systems are relics from the arcade past or are still relevant game mechanics. Martha makes up numbers, Mark quantifies the Star Trek Universe and Stephen gets the high score.Mega Minne Multi Indie Mini ArcadeThe Greatest Discovery podcast - Podcast0:15:10Scoring SystemsClicker HeroesWikipedia0:38:52Lives and Continues

It's another dispatch of the Nice Games Bulletin! Your nice hosts talk E3, Star Trek, and weaponized nostalgia, then eventually get around to discussing the latest news and releases in video games, including important developments in workers rights, console certification mishaps, and the live-action debut of more than one ugly rodent.The Deep Space Nine Anniversary Documentary Is Hitting Theaters for One Day Onl… - James Whitbrook, IO9Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:06:24Ronda Rousey Being In Mortal Kombat 11 Is Bullshit - Heather Alexandra, KotakuLabo VR: how Mario and Zelda look and play in virtual reality - Thomas Morgan, EurogamerBubsy: Paws On Fire! Comes To Switch In May Whether You Want It To Or Not - Ryan Craddock, NintendoLifeF. Gary Gray Is Working on a Saints Row Movie Adaptation  - Julie Muncy, WiredBulletin topic (News)Timecode0:28:15Just saw Avengers: Endgame and want to talk about America's Ass? Subscribe to "Felix Drags Dale Through the Marvel Universe" (available wherever you get your podcasts)!Felix and Dale PodcastOver 150 Riot Employees Walk Out To Protest Forced Arbitration And Sexist Cultu… - Cecilia D'Anastasio and Nathan Grayson, KotakuAs Riot Games employees walk out, discontent swirls among video game industry w… - Matthew Smith and Nicole Karlis, SalonEpic buys Rocket League developer Psyonix, strongly hints it will stop selling … - Nick Statt, The VergeNintendo Removes Game From Switch Shop After Developer Reveals Secret Code Edit… - Nathan Grayson, KotakuPlay the web version of "A Dark Room" for free here.VR News!Valve Index reveal: The best of VR’s first generation—but is it worth $999?  - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaOculus Quest review: 2019’s best new gaming system is wireless, affordable VR - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaHands-on with the new $399 Oculus Rift S: More pixels, zero webcams, better fit - Sam Machkovech, Ars TechnicaMore News!Pitchford promises no “free-to-play junk” for Borderlands 3 - Kyle Orland, Ars TechnicaSpeedrunner Smashes A Computer-Assisted Super Mario Bros. Record By A Single Fr… - Natalie Degraffinried, KotakuXbox Has New Guidelines on How to Talk Trash Without Getting Banned - Nicole Carpenter, MotherboardGod of War Director Weighs In On Sonic the Hedgehog Design Changes - Tyler Fischer, Comicbook.com

This week on the program is another Nice Games Jam, where we are given a prompt from Martha’s boyfriend (and Evil Games Club co-host) Dylan, which we have to use to create a playable game prototype by the end of the episode.The prompt was to create a paper prototype of a game that combines "hilarious movement" like in games like Gang Beasts or Octodad with a card game.You can play the prototype of our creation "Blob Ball" at home using the rules below. Maybe we'll actually make the video game version sometime!Promptcreate a paper prototype of a game that combines "hilarious movement" like in games like Gang Beasts or Octodad with a card game.Game typePaper prototypePlayer count3Materials3 decks of cards1 joker to be the blob ballSetup2 decks of cards for the two players ( 1 Deck each)Separate out the face cardsPlace on the starting line for each playerPut all other cards aside1 deck of card for the for AI physicsSort into suitsPull out Ace-4 and the face cards from the Hearts suit to make the blob movement Heart deck and set all other hearts asideGive one suite deck other than hearts to each player and keep one for physics. These suit decks will be used to play war to determine who has control of the ball.1 Joker to be the blob ball placed in the center of the fieldRulesGoalMove blob past opponent’s starting lineCharactersJack, moves 3 spaces without the ball, 1 space with the ballQueen, moves 2 spaces with or without ball (ball can only move as fast as the slowest character on it)King, moves 1 space with or without the ballEach player has three actions to do things on their turnMove a character (only can move an individual character once per turn)Lift blob (auto chance to lift blob if the player ends turn with three cards on it)Move blob (only once per turn- ball can only move as fast as the slowest character on it)When picking up blob:Need at least 3 cards on blob to pick it up.Play “war” with AI physics player using the physics suit decks- higher card (plus any player bonus points) wins Numbers worth their number (Ace is worth 1)Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13Bonus for each card on blob: King +2, Queen +1, Jack +0If opponent is also on the blob, they get to play in the war hand as well to defend with their bonuses and prevent blob movementIf blob falls out by Physics winning in “war”:Throw ace of hearts to determine direction. The end point of the heart is the direction it movesDraw from the Heart deck of Jack (worth 1), Queen (worth 1), King (worth 1), Ace (worth 1), 2, 3, and 4 to determine amount of movement.

This week, Martha fills the clubhouse with tales of her trip to the League of Legends Spring Split event in St. Louis, Mark gets to talk about another of his wonky "nonsense topics," and Stephen can't quite explain what he doesn't like about a thing.“Long Lost ‘Zork’ Source Code Uploaded to GitHub, But Few People Understand It”  - Nicole Carpenter, MotherboardThe Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy - 30th Anniversary Edition for free0:09:21Video Game Events“Out of traffic, into a ditch” Rachel KrausMashableCity Museum Wikipedia“The Overprotected Kid”Hanna RosenThe AtlanticMartha took pictures at the 2019 League Championship Series event she attended in St. Louis“My Hunt For The Mysterious Man Or Machine Controlling The Blizzard Arena's Lig…Maddy MyersKotaku0:32:58Color Theory“A Bullet Hell Set In Hell That's Heaven To Play” EThan GachKotaku“Color Harmony: Why Hulk Wears Purple Pants” RikardZeven Design“Stop This Absurd War on the Color Pink” Michael MoyerScientific AmericanAdobe Color is a free tool to help you create color palettes for your projects.Widget Satchel UI (many colors, lower contrast)Metro Nexus UI (fewer colors, higher contrast)Check out our recent episode where we discuss accessibility, including designing for color blindness."I definitely thought of that ahead of time."

This week on Nice Games Club we talk all about Resource Management in Games and Boss Battles! Join us as we discuss mana, cooldowns, super meters and how to make boss battles unique but not frustrating. Martha takes the train, Stephen takes a test and Mark wonders what the appeal is.0:07:58Resource Management in Games0:35:12Boss BattlesShadow of the Colossus speed runGames Done QuickYouTubeThe Phatom Train (Final Fantasy VI boss)Fandom

Join us in the Nice Games Clubhouse/Newsroom to hear the latest and greatest news from the video game world. Mortho makes a return (and another and another), Stephen doesn't want to say "git gud," (but...), Mark wants to press all the buttons, and (STOP THE PRESSES!) Martha likes board games now.Bulletin topic (Recent releases)Timecode0:01:15“Needle Felting Gives Us All the Feels”  - Ashley Little, Bluprint“Islanders is a bite-sized palate cleanser of a civilization builder” - - Cass Marshall, Polygon“‘Super Mario Odyssey’ and ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ are both getting VR supp… - Jacob Siegal, BGRLabo VR kit launches April 12th, Mario/Zelda support coming April 25th.“The Division 2 has a lot to say, but it’s very hard to hear over all the gunfi… - Charlie Hall and Cass Marshall, PolygonLessons learned creating UI for the Division - Christian Savoie, GDCIn related news, this week a lot of new free content from GDC 2019 became available on the GDC vault: https://www.gdcvault.com/free/.Bulletin topic (News)Timecode0:10:02“She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off.”  - Siobhan Roberts, The New York Times“Wingspan review: A gorgeous birding board game takes flight”  - Aaron Zimmerman, Ars TechnicaSpeaking of board games, Minnesota developer Leder Games just made 1.7 million dollars(!!!) on Kickstarter for “Root: The Underworld Expansion.”“EA Lays Off 350 People In Marketing, Publishing, And More”  - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“How BioWare's Anthem Went Wrong”  - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“BioWare Boss Addresses Studio Issues, Vows To 'Continue Working To Solve Them'… - Jason Schreier, Kotaku“All the latest details on the new Borderlands game”  - Harry Shepherd, PCGamesN“Borderlands 3 On PC Is Exclusive To Epic Games Store Until Early 2020”  - Tamoor Hussain, GameSpot“Review-bombed Borderlands 2 is the first to have user scores thrown out by Ste… - Owen S. Good, Polygon“Lawsuit alleges Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford improperly siphoned $12M for perso… - Charlie Hall, Polygon“Google Stadia has a lot of ‘last mile’ challenges”  - Jeff Grubb, VentureBeat“The Nintendo Switch in Japan offers a peek at the cloud gaming future”  - Sam Byford, Polygon“'Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice' and the debate over difficulty vs. accessibility”  - Adam Rosenberg, Mashable“An Easy Mode Has Never Ruined A Game”  - Joshua Rivera, Kotaku

Mark and Dale are at GDC so Ellen Burns-Johnson joins us to talk all about Team Building and Game Identities! Join us for this chill evening recording session and discuss the more existential side of game development. If you change a game completely is it still the same game you started with? Stephen builds a house, Ellen is a game feedback therapist and Martha gets lost in the waveform.Mark and Dale are at GDC! The episode of their adventures actually came out *last* week (calendar math) so you can listen to it RIGHT NOW if you haven’t alreadyGDC 2019 Special0:01:57Team BuildingDicer and Clasp: Dungeon SkedaddleStephen's Global Game Jam TeamGGJClaw BreakerSteamOur episode on topic on Game Writing"Steal this episode."Cat CribEllen's Global Game Jam TeamGGJ0:22:37Game IdentitiesProducer Bootcamp: How Saying 'No' Can Help You Make a Better GameRuth Tomandl, Oculus ResearchGDCRuth Stone, Poet who caught poems on the windWikipedia