This week on Nice Plays, the show where the Nice Games Club gamedevs play nice games, we continue a conversation from last week’s roundtable, and preview a topic from an upcoming episode.Your nice hosts talk about gamedev philosophy while Martha plays the zen-inspired game Everything, and talk about character design as Stephen wanders into Martha's ranch and makes a big ‘ol mess in the super-adorable farming game Slime Rancher.Video

This week, your nice hosts get a bit personal as they talk about the research that has gone into their games and the philosophies behind them, as well what exactly a Nice Game is. Also in the episode: Stephen has confusing feelings about MAR10 Day, Mark finds more reasons to reference Star Trek and Martha discusses her previously undisclosed acting talents.Perhaps it is time for the… Millenium of the Peach.We’re all excited about the upcoming games described in this Nintendo Direct.0:10:35Research for GamesHere are the 30 maps Mark spent a few weeks researching for.How ‘Never Alone’ turns cultural heritage into video game historyMatt KamenWiredHow Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice deals with psychosisJames LloydScience FocusUniverse SandboxElite DangerousMark mentions this game 30 for 30 episode titled Madden’s Game.30 for 30ESPN0:45:26Gamedev PhilosophiesThe Manifesto Jam has many fascinating statements about approaching game development. Here are the ones we mention on the show:I was trying to make a game but my dog got in the way…Secret languagesMoney-festoRules for not losing myselfManifesto for gentle gamesGames are weird tiny things that teach usNotecard minifestos

This week Stephen made it to the clubhouse despite the Minnesota snow, Mark shares his knowledge of object oriented programming and Martha yells at the Unity docs.Photo is of Glitch HQ and is from Glitch.mnThere’s a #nicegamesclub channel on the MSPGameDev Slack now!Stephen’s interview on Tech.MNMark’s 30 Metro Nexus maps, in gif form!0:09:13Game ProgrammingGodot is a game engine similar to Unity, but with object-oriented programming a…We’ve talked about coding styles in our episode titled "Proper ones and twos."Martha went to the coding boot camp Prime Digital Academy.Learning FluencySara SimonMediumMark mentioned the book Game Programming Pattern, a resource also available for…Robert Nystrom0:52:06Work SpacesIf you use part of your home for business, you may be able to get a tax reducti…

Your nice hosts welcome instructional designer Ellen Burns-Johnson to the clubhouse, as we discuss the many ways to approach teaching using interactive games. Along the way, we talk about bugs (of the many leg variety), snow falling from buildings, and traumatizing but educational game experiences.Learning Through GamesGame DesignUI / UXEllen references THOTH, a twin-stick shooter made by Carlsen Games.Much of Ellen’s work is based off of the CCAF framework.Learn about how to make fake news from the educator backed Bad News.Custom eLearning Vs. Off-The-Shelf eLearning: Which Is Right For You? - Ayesha Habeeb Omer, Ph.D, eLearning IndustryCathy Moore talks about training design ideas on her blogKentucky Fried Chicken’s Virtual Reality game The Hard Way - YouTubeAssassin’s Creed Origins’ new educational mode is a violence-free tour through … - Andrew Webster, The VergeEllen played SimAnt as a kid!Ellen Burns-JohnsonYour Nice HostGuestBy day, Ellen Burns-Johnson is a learning experience designer (LXD) and consultant. With more than a decade of experience in the education and training industries, she has crafted the instructional strategy and design for dozens of major initiatives across diverse topics, from classroom safety to IT sales. Emphasizing collaboration and playfulness in her approach to creating learning experiences, Ellen’s work has earned multiple awards for interactivity and gameful design.By night (and on the weekends) Ellen stays as plugged into the Twin Cities Gamedev scene as she’s able to, contributing to game jam teams and local projects. She was a level designer and “explosion czar” on Widget Satcheland a designer/producer for a few different Ludum Dare and Global Game Jam teams.Ellen lives in Saint Paul with her husband Eric and their two dogs, Dante and Pixel. Ellen is terrible at racing games, she always picks the sniper build, and she loves a good puzzle/platformer.External linkEllen on LinkedInEllen on Twitter

This week on Nice Plays, the show where the Nice Games Club gamedevs play nice games, we played two just-released local indie games.Martha played the life-simulation game Verdant Skies, and Stephen played the non-violent 3D platformer Newt One. We had a lot to say about both, which we loved, and not just because the developers are friends of the show.You can watch both episodes on YouTube by using the links below, or by visiting this episode's page on https://nicegames.clubVideo

This week on Nice Plays, the show where the Nice Games Club gamedevs play nice games, we played two just-released local indie games.Martha played the life-simulation game Verdant Skies, and Stephen played the non-violent 3D platformer Newt One. We had a lot to say about both, which we loved, and not just because the developers are friends of the show.You can watch both episodes on YouTube by using the links below, or by visiting this episode's page on https://nicegames.clubDownload a special Nice Games Club-themed item for your home in Verdant Skies by using this code: A836-4C64-83CBVideo

This week, your nice hosts talk about Star Trek for longer than usual, and Mortho returns with an NGC Sports Update. Also: Stephen executes a delicious self-own in a discussion on Achievements, Mark sings a song about cities, and Martha hopes to design puzzles that even Stephen will appreciate.The Greatest Discovery podcastReport: Geguri Will Be The First Woman Signed To An Overwatch League Team - Nathan Grayson, Kotaku0:08:10AchievementsPortal 2’s best achievement: This is the Part Where He Kills YouBuddytheRatYouTubeAchievement Unlocked is a parody game about achievementsHUDdledLudum Dare Nice Plays specialThe Simpsons GameAchievementBrosYouTubeAlexander Hamilton, a Federalist, probably wouldn’t have liked Achievements eit…0:39:46Puzzle DesignLevel Design Workshop: Solving Puzzle DesignJolie MenzelGDCAnalysis: Puzzle Design in the Myst SeriesGregory WeirGame DeveloperTim Schafer on Day of the Tentacle’s awful car wash puzzle: “[It] seemed a lot …Bob MackeyUSgamerThis Might Be Persona 5's Biggest Localization FailChris KohlerKotakuGrumpy Gamer on Puzzle Dependency ChartsYe Olde Grumpy Gamer BlogOur pal Martin’s company Abstract Puzzle makes games including Puzzle Prison VRVisual Understanding Environment is an Open Source project for managing digital…Embedded Puzzle ManifestoJoey JonesFar Far Future

This week, Martha goes into more detail about her game, Stephen gushes about all the plushies he wants and Mark reminisces about the good old days of Super Mario Bros. 3.0:07:49MerchStephen's Kirby CornerThe Nintendo World Store is an awesome place for sweet Nintendo swag."Blown Up Game Boy From The Gulf War" Vince VenezianiTechCrunchMark's pikman plushie watches over his demo setupMark’s “Tails” aka Miles Prower plush!TopataCo is a nice place to host your merch at.The Space Junk team made stickers of their garbage!Don’t you just want to hug a Sprocket of your own?Here’s an older gif of Fingeance’s enemies.Metro Nexus maps would make great posters, right?The Joggernauts team has been selling their pins everywhere you can find them!The Coleslaw Council’s official pin design.0:39:18Starting a GameMartha started working on her point and click gameRon Gilbert’s blogThimbleweed Park devWe’ve talked a bit about Programmer Art in a previous episode"Bananas, from here to eternity."Martha realized during the show that the Usborne puzzle adventures were influen…

It's Global Game Jam 2018! In this special jam episode you'll hear field interviews with gamedevs at the Minneapolis Gamecraft site mid-jam as they work on their games. Then your nice hosts talk all about how the weekend went for them and what they each got out of the experience. Martha is a stage manager, Mark can't help but make artistic developer art and Stephen is the GGJ MVP.Stephen’s GGJ game: ”Dicer and Clasp: Dungeon Skedaddle”. - Stephen's GGJ Team, GGJMark’s GGJ gam: ”CMYK”. - Mark's GGJ Team, GGJMarth's GGJ InterviewsAdia on Twitter. Adia’s game: “Jank Escape”Ellen on Twitter. Ellen worked with Stephen on “Dicer and Clasp.”“Intergalactic Transmissing”“Radwave”“Social Anxiety Simulator”“Space Pirate Radio”Charles’ wry tweet about the GGJ theme.Global Game Jam 2018Intergalactic Transmissing found the community at nesdev.com a great resource f…Mark used a very helpful open-source library called VRTK for his GGJ game.Mark used AssetForge to create 3D assets for his GGJ game.Rachel Peterson was a guest on a previous episode.Games Education

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

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube in HD-quality.)In this episode, Mark dies a lot in Nioh, but his complaining has nothing to do with that.We're trying something new with Nice Plays, where we pick up our episode a little ways into a game rather that starting from the beginning. We'll also be talking about a particular mechanic or feature in the game which relates to a topic we had discussed in detail on a previous episode of the podcast.We're taking baby steps in this direction with this episode, where we pick up about an hour into the game, and focus a bit on the loot system. Your nice hosts discussed loot systems (and loot boxes) a few weeks ago in the episode "I have so much feelings." (https://nicegames.club/2018/01/i-have-so-much-feelings-loot-systems-loot-boxes/)Video

It's been awhile since your nice hosts recorded in the clubhouse, and they have a lot to talk about, including news about Martha's now-in-development point-and-click game!This, plus the return of Mortho, an uncritical endorsement of capitalism, and Stephen admitting that Uncharted 4 maybe had some good things about it.That Nintendo Labo Robot Game Looks Awfully Familiar - Chris Kohler, KotakuThe Global Game Jam is this weekend! It’s not too late to sign up!An Overwatch Women's League isn't the answer - Ashley Oh, Polygon0:10:06SteamThe biggest issues with Steam in 2017, according to 230 developersLars DoucetPC GamerVerdant Skies will be out on Steam real soon!We previously talked about Steam Direct in the clubhouse..."We joke here."...and had Andy, Beth and Gabe Korth in to discuss Steam Greenlight.Steam GreenlightA few alternatives to Steam: Itch.io, Good Old Games, Humble Bundle, Robot Cache.So You Want To Compete With SteamLars DoucetGame Developer0:43:35Games in GamesTV Tropes has a great list of games within games.The secret world of hidden gamesK. Thor JensenGeek.comMicrosoft Excel ‘95 contained Hall of Tortured Souls and Excel ‘97 had a space simulator!Long Lost Emulation Easter Egg Discovered in GoldenEyeKate CoxKotakuInside the Development of Gaming's Biggest Mystery, 'Frog Fractions 2'Patrick KlepekWaypointUncharted 4 Has The Perfect Video Game EndingLuke PlunkettKotakuWolfenstein 3D returns with a twist in Wolfenstein 2Patrick GillPolygonOne of Martha’s favorite games, Spy Fox in Dry Cereal, contains a small game ca…

This week, your nice hosts are introduced by Felix Foster, writer and narrative designer, to talk about character dialogue (or dialog, as was deemed also appropriate during the show).Character DialogueGame DesignProductionFelix mentions The Prophet from The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, who is looking for… - xenmordoc, YouTubeHere’s examples of audio logs from Bioshock Infinite. - YouTubeFallout 4’s 'Full Dialogue' Mod Makes The Game Way Better  - Kirk Hamilton, KotakuBranching Conversation Systems and the Working Writer, Part 1: Introduction - Alexander Freed, Game DeveloperClementine Won't Remember That: The False Promises of Telltale's The Walking De… - Matthew Byrd, , Den of GeekWe talked about character creation and motivations in a previous episode,"Shaniqua Shepard sounds cool."Felix FosterGuestFelix Foster is a writer and narrative designer. He is on the board of Twin Cities Pride.External link@felixxx244Felix is on Instagram @felixxx244

Another year of great games! All "four" of your hosts gather in the freezing clubhouse to talk about some of the nicest games of 2017. They decided that they couldn't ALL talk about Zelda and Mario for the whole episode so each of them picked exactly two games to highlight. Mark is on brand, Stephen makes some ambitious resolutions and Martha totally didn't cheat the system.Listen to Sara’s Widget Satchel Soundtrack here! - Sara FerrartPlay the jam version of Widget Satchel - Ludum Dare0:08:19Martha’s/Mortho’s Nicest (2017)Thimbleweed ParkTerrible Toybox, IncSlime RancherMonomi ParkDestiny 2BungieCheck out #madewithblocks on Twitter to see/share amazing things made with Bloc…We talk a lot about Destiny 2 in our topic, Repetition, in our episode"Schrödinger’s Animal Crossing."0:22:09Mark’s Nicest (2017)Star Trek: Bridge CrewUbisoftGorogoaBuried Signal & Annapurna InteractiveThe old school Star Trek game we reminisced about is probably Star Trek: The Ne…Spectrum HolobyteWe talked about VR immersion in a past episode"You can see the cabbage in it."If you are local stop by Glitch’s VR Night run by Mark!The Puzzle Of A Lifetime Chris Kohler Kotaku0:32:33Stephen’s Nicest (2017)ArmsNintendoNeurovoiderFlying Oak GamesHear more about Stephen’s love for fighting games on our Fighting game topci in episode, "Shaniqua Shepard sounds cool."0:38:35Stephen's Most Anticipated (for 2018)Soul Calibur 6Michael McWhertorPolygonKirby 2018NintendoYouTubeSmash on the Switch (NINTENDO PLEASE)Martha's/Mortho's Most Anticipated (for 2018)Mineko’s Night MarketMeowza GamesOobletsGlumberland

This week, your nice hosts get into it. Stephen is split on everything, Mark is the bad guy, and it's all Martha's fault.Stephen and Mark talked about their Ludum Dare 40 game, Widget Satchel, which Martha played on last week’s Nice Plays episode!0:03:58Loot SystemsZelda: Breath Of The Wild Players Are Tricking Amiibos To Grind For Rare LootEthan Gach KotakuNioh's latest patch fixes its most annoying flaw Jeffrey MatulefEurogamerStephen brought up our recent episode on repetition in games,"Schrödinger’s Animal Crossing."NeuroVoider Chock-Full of Rogue-Like KillBot Twin-Stick ShootingJames CunninghamHardcore GamerBungie says it " betrayed" Destiny 2 fans over transparencyYouTube0:29:30Loot BoxesLoot boxes in video games will soon get a review flag from OpenCriticSam MachkovechArs TechnicaWhat You Need To Know About Shadow of War's Controversial Loot BoxesPatricia HernandezKotakuA Guide To The Endless, Confusing Star Wars Battlefront II ControversyGita JacksonKotakuGearbox boss Randy Pitchford is ‘very much against predatory monetization schem… Dustin BaileyPCGamesNAn inconvenient truth: game prices have come down with timeBen KucheraArs TechnicaI Just Got A Bunch Of Overwatch Gift Cards, And I'm Terrified To Use ThemNathan GraysonKotakuHow Luis Von Ahn Turned Countless Hours Of Mindless Activity Into Something Val…Alison GriswoldBusiness InsiderGame Designer Damion Schubert posted a thread on Twitter about how to do loot boxes ethically. Mark was not convinced.

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube for HD-quality.)It's an Xmas miracle! In this jumbo-sized edition, your nice hosts play 36 (!!!) games in less than 50 minutes! Each of these games were created during the 40th Ludum Dare online game jam, which took place December 1st - 4th, 2017.Stephen and Mark participated in this jam with friends of the show Sara Ferret and Lane Davis, and to cap off this episode, Martha plays their game, Widget Satchel.GamesAntiBucketAvoidanceBabies with GunsBetween StationsBrick RacerClaustrophobiaCoinminator 2000Critters Inc.CrosstalkDangle CopterApparently I'm a DetectiveThe Fabulous Orchestra of Mister VincentGames Games GamesGreen Chefs and PancakesHeartless JumpHeavy HeartsHUDdledI'm Not HereJust Another DayKetchup QuestKiwi is the KeyToo Many RulesFit InMini MysteryMothsNo Coins AllowedNoteBoyOffice EscapeSynapseTailThe Adequate ShepardThe GravediggerI'll Take You To Tomato TownToo Many Cats!Enjoy the FlowersWidget SatchelVideo

Your nice hosts interview Ben Burnes, sole developer of recently released Color Jumper, to discuss the process of finally releasing a game, and the lessons learned along the way.Releasing a GameMarketingProductionColor Jumper is available on Steam right now! You can try it out on the itch.io pageThe 20/60/20 Rule of Leadership” - Derrick Strand, LinkedInBen had mixed results with Keymailer.Ben shared two years(!!) of in-development GIFs of Color Jumper.Facepunch.Steamworks is a C# Library for Steamworks.Will Tice was a previous guest who we talked to about solo development.Solo DevelopmentBen talked about how every last 10% of work is another 90% of work, and so on. But don’t worry, because 0.999... is equal to 1!The Agile Composer: Project Management for Game Audio -  Dan Hulsman, Video Game Music AcademyBen BurnesGuestBen Burnes is a game programmer, artist, musician, and cat lover. His game Color Jumper was recently released.External link@ben_burnes on twitterBen Burnes creates music on PatreonBen Burnes on YouTubeHis music is on SoundCloudBen Burnes on Twitchand on Trello

This week is Stephen's first turn as roundtable host, Mark teaches us about film and Martha sells her soul for three Destiny 2 faction tokens.Mark and Stephen and friends made it through Ludum Dare! Check out their game called Widget Satchel.0:02:49InfluencesWhat Is Blackout Poetry? These Fascinating Poems Are Created From Existing Art E. Ce MillerBustleThat action/puzzle game Stephen was trying to remember was Meteos.We talked about Star Wars Episode 1 Racing in our episode on racing games."We joke here."The Secret of Mario's Jump (and other Versatile Verbs)Game Maker's ToolkitYouTubeThe Norwood Suite Is A Very Different Kind Of Music Game EThan GachKotaku0:46:44RepetitionThe Unexpected Joy Of Repetition In Video GamesHeather AlexanderKotakuDesert Bus comes to VR at long lastOwen S. GoodPolygonStuck on repeat: why we love repetition in musicTom Service The GuardianSaying the same word over again until it means nothing is called semantic satia…WikipediaLoops EpisodeRadiolabPodcast

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube for HD-quality.)In this episode, Mark plays the opening chapter of one of Martha's very favorite games, Borderlands 2, and then Martha takes over to show off her badassitude. Your nice hosts talk about narrative in FPS games, generous loot systems, and how wonderful/terrible Claptrap is.Game: Borderlands 2Developer: Gearbox SoftwarePublisher: 2K GamesPlatform: PCYear: 2012Genre: First-person shooterVideo

(Watch this and other Nice Plays on YouTube for HD-quality.)In this episode, your nice hosts battle each other in a brand new indie fighting game. The overall win-loss record isn't important... the main takeaway is that Martha and Mark both beat Stephen.Game: InflatalityDeveloper: Hojo StudioPublisher: Hojo StudioPlatform: PCRelease date: Oct. 26, 2017Genre: FightingVideo

This week, Martha hosts her first roundtable episode, Mark starts another argument, and Stephen gets sassy about his favorite game genre.Stephen did regret promising to have his talk notes up. They’ll be up ASAP!Martha had a blast at the My Brother, My Brother and Me show!0:08:08Fighting GamesGames N’ Go in Roseville, MN often has Friday fighting game nights.The Moon Fields, a Wisconsin fighting game by Lunar Signals.Terminology and glossary guide for fighting gamesEvent HubsThe White Belts Facebook group is helpful for those looking to start fighting g…In case you’re curious who the top characters are in Super Smash Bros. games, h…Sonic hurricane dot com is a great guide about footsies and the role it plays i…0:40:09Character RoleplayingThe Uncharted 2 commercial Mark references. It is pretty terrible.We reference a few of the future games talked about in the past episode,"We joke here."Seems some other people agree with Mark’s stance on Shepard’s first name.

It’s a very special episode, as your nice hosts celebrate one year(!!!) of Nice Games Club by revising their favorite topics from the show’s first 50+ episodes. Also: Mark complains about Las Vegas, Martha repeatedly gets the last laugh, and Stephen doesn’t like talking about his problems.0:03:06Imposter Syndrome (revisited)Impostor Syndrome Is Not Just a Confidence ProblemAlicia LiuMedium0:14:20Conferences / Gaming Events (revisited)Adobe’s prototype AI tools let you instantly edit photos and videos James VincentThe VergeSo Adobe XD CC is out, what now? Alexander DimitrovPrototypr0:24:50VR Development (revisited)We never miss an opportunity to plug Beach Ball Valley.SteamGoogle BlocksLogitech made a VR keyboard kit so you can type in the ViveAdi RobertsonThe VergeEVE developers CCP pulling out of VR Adam SmithRock Paper ShotgunOculus is closing its VR film studio Adi RobertsonThe VergeGoogle acquires Owlchemy Labs VR game studioLucas Matney TechCrunchWindows Mixed Reality Headsets Gain SteamVR Support, a Library of VR GamesAnton ShilovAnandTech0:40:08Prototyping (revisited)This topic revisits our episode"Pick up all the things."15 Top Prototyping Tools Go Head-to-HeadDave Kearney and Daniel SchwarzSitepointYouthprise0:48:44Messages and Meanings (revisited)This topic revisits our episode"We are artists and we should be artists."1:06:04Strategy Guides (revisited)This topic revisits our episode"We are artists and we should be artists."1:13:57The Future of Nice Games Club

A special episode, with a unique guest, who is also a fan of the show! Minneapolis-based Riddle Room creator and owner Art Allen enters the clubhouse to talk about making, designing, and operating puzzle/escape room games, and the ways in which its similar and different from creating digital games.Puzzle/Escape RoomsPhysical GamesPeeking Behind the Locked Door: A Survey of Escape Room Facilities - Scott NicholsonThe 10 Best VR Puzzle and Escape Room Games -  Andy O'Donnell, LifewireThe Stagecoach-themed children’s book we talked about is Nine for California, b…Escape Room Enthusiast Facebook groupEscape Room Owners Facebook groupArt AllenGuestArt Allen is the creator and owner of Minneapolsi-based Riddle Room. Riddle Room operates four separate Escape Room Games in the Twin-Cities, including 2017 Golden Lock In Winner for the Room Utopia, from Room Escape Artist.External linkRiddle Room website.Riddle Room on Twitter.Art Allen on Twitter.Riddle Room on Facebook.Riddle Room's Utopia game.

In this episode, Mark plays a new indie release by a Twin Cities developer. He dies a lot, and it's only partially the controller's fault.Game: Color JumperDeveloper/Publisher: Tall Beard StudiosPlatform: Windows / Mac / LinuxYear: 2017Genre: Precision PlatformerColor Jumper on Itch.io.Color Jumper on Steam.Ben Burnes on Twitter.Ben is also a musician and songwriter!...and he streams on Twitch!Video

In this episode, Martha (and then Stephen) are tortured by bad level design and user-hostile game mechanics in the original Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2, while Mark praises the oft-misunderstood American version of the game.NOTE: Mark was wrong. There *were* mid-level checkpoints in the original Super Mario Bros.Game: Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan)Developer/Publisher: NintendoPlatform: Famicom Disk SystemYear: 1986Genre: PlatformerThis game is exhaustively detailed at Super Mario Wiki.Mark really loves the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, which you can read a lotabout.Video

In our first (and likely only ever) Halloween episode, Martha haunts the clubhouse, Mark delivers some bad Zelda-related news to Stephen, and from Stephen’s topic a thousand flowers bloom.Mark gave a talk on object-oriented programming at the first annual M+DEV confe…0:04:41Upcoming GamesTech Interview: Destiny 2 and Bungie's return to PC gamingRichard LeadbetterEurogamer18 new Nintendo Switch games are out this week — the most everAllegra FrankPolygonPokemon Stars: all the latest leaks from the confirmed Nintendo Switch gameEmma BoyleTechRadar[Your Name] the HedgehogKnow Your Meme0:20:58Release DatesThe Dark Night Rises had No Competition at the Box OfficeJim PagelsSlateThe Weird Reason Why Video Games Are Released On Tuesdays Karyne LevyBusiness InsiderWe asked folks at r/gamedev about release date strategies. Thanks to those who contributed to this episode!0:31:07Win ConditionsLoot Boxes Are Designed To Exploit UsHeather Alexandra,KotakuHow Game Designers Protect Players From ThemselvesGame Maker's ToolkitYouTubeThe long, hard, journey behind the design of Dead Cells’ player builds Alex WiltshireRock Paper ShotgunDesert Bus For Hope

This week, we talk to Ben Franks, Dreamcast aficionado, and discuss the various ways its preservation has taken form. Your nice hosts also take a short trip down memory lane as we reminisce about our favorite video game hardware.Here's a video Martha captured while we were recording the episode, as Ben open… - Nice Games Club with Ben Franks, YouTubePreserving the DreamcastHardwarePreserving the Art of Play - Jacob Brogan, SlateHere are the Xbox 360 and PS3 emulators Stephen mentioned. Less than 20% of their game libraries are fully playable.This Facebook group wants Dreamcast GD ROM Drive Emulation to happen.Clean room engineering uses formal methods and iteration in software developmen… - WikipediaThe Dreamcast’s SH4 processor has an open source version called J-core.Remember Game Gear? - Levi Buchanan, IGN Elysian Shadows is being developed for Dreamcast, PC and...Ouya? Here are the tidy insides of a Dreamcast:Morepictures of Ben’s Dreamcaststuff!Windows CE did indeed run on Dreamcast. Here’s a list of games that used it.KallistiOS, a prograde development system for Dreamcast. - Cryptic Allusion Game DevThe Dreamcast’s Visual Memory Unit. - WikipediaSonic Adventure had a pretty robust Chao raising minigame. - Sonic RetroSonic Shuffle, Sega’s attempt at a Mario Party-like game.The creators of Elysian Shadows have created a VMU emulator called ElysianVMU. - The DreamCast JunkyardHow to burn a Dreamcast CDI. - The .ISO zoneA guide to replace a Dreamcast GD-ROM drive. - iFixitBen FranksGuestBen Franks hosts Gaymer Space at GlitchHQ. You can also email him at [email protected] with all your Dreamcast questions!

In this episode (Nice Games Club's 50th!), Martha plays (and finishes!) a game Stephen once recommended to Mark (but Mark forgot about). A first-person narrative, Thirty Flights of Loving is a 5-year old game written in a 10-year old engine, but still holds up, according to your nice hosts, anyway.Game: Thirty Flights of LovingDeveloper/Publisher: Blendo GamesPlatform: PC (Windows, Mac)Year: 2012Genre: First-person NarrativeIGN has (for some wonderful reason) a strategy guide for this game.The 27 Homages Of Thirty Flights Of Loving - David Valjalo, Rock Paper ShotgunBlendo Games most recent release was the indie darling Quadrilateral Cowboy.Video

In this episode, Mark plays one of Martha's favorites, the classic PC point and click adventure Pajama Sam 2, and learns why she loves and is inspired by this game's development studio so much.Game: Pajama Sam 2: Thunder and Lightning Aren’t So FrighteningDeveloper/Publisher: Humongous EntertainmentPlatform: PC (Windows, Mac, Linux)Year: 1998Genre: Point & Click AdventureWe mentioned, but didn't show, the game's intro cut scene.As it happens, Pajama Sam was voiced by one of Mark's favorite comic actors, Pamela Adlon, although she's more famous for voicing Bobby on King of the Hill. She is currently starring in the show Better Things, which she created and produces, and for which she was nominated for an Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy in 2017.This game includes references to other Humongous titles, including Backyard Sports.Boris Karloff played Frankenstein's monster.Video

In this episode, Stephen fights his demons, Martha likes sports now, and Mark learns a lot about both.0:02:41Scope CreepMartha took a blacksmithing class! Also, her instructor told her this was a perfect forge weld.Martha brought up fighting scope creep on our GDC 2017 Special.GDC 2017 Special (Part 1)Project management is a way to combat scope creep that we’ve covered before, in the episode"We joke here."A core concept for your game can help focus ideas as well. We go over this in our Game Design Primer topic in our episode"That makes me retroactively nervous." Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-MakingSam KanerOur post on the r/gamedev. Special thanks to SaxPanther, ledat, GravityGamesInt, Bwob, and DustyPixel for their stories.SaxPanther created a battle royale game out of the Unity Roll-A-Ball tutorial.ledat shared a story on how one person accidentally created banking software after attempting to streamline coffee orders.0:30:53eSportsLeague of LegendsLeague of Legends World Championship is happening RIGHT THE DANG NOW!Martha will be rooting for her favorite team, C9.Player Signings, Salaries, and More in the Overwatch League™Blizzard EntertainmentLeague of Legends' ratings top NBA Finals, World Series clinchersPatrick DorseyESPNAn example of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament casting.TwitchThe Story of DOTAPaul DeanEurogamerThe biggest Call of Duty tournament shines light on growth of esportsJordan CrookTechCrunchThe Rise and Fall of StarCraft II as an eSportKevin HovdestadIGN How Intellectual Property Rights Are Hurting Esports TeamsLeonard LangenscheidtThe Esports ObserverThere is, in fact, a Civilization VI eSports scene.Leif JohnsonMotherboard

This week, Stephen finally gets a theme song, Mark plays devil's advocate, and Martha gets dangerously close to a topic your nice hosts swore to never talk about on the show.0:02:40DLC and ExpansionsWhen Mark was young, he bought unofficial Quake mods on CD-ROM.Turns out, Electronics Boutique and EB Games are the same thing.Day-One DLC Isn’t Always Evil, Says Borderlands 2 GuyTina AminiKotakuPatch The ProcessRami IshmailStreet Fighter V is a Barebones Game That’s a Sign of the TimesPaul TamburroCraveCode analysis of No Man's Sky praises engine, criticises "unfinished" game Andy ChalkPC GamerIt turns out Sony won’t be charging PS4 Pro players for 4K upgrade patchesDanny CowanDigital TrendsMario Party 2: Luigi wins by doing absolutely nothingKlydeStromYouTubeTurns out, Dungeons & Dragons does use software-style versioning for their “patch notes.”After recording this episode, Mark had an idea for how to price DLC in Metro Nexus.Nier Automata Lets Players Buy PSN Trophies With In-Game MoneyHeather AlexandraKotakuPayday 2 rolls back microtransactions after fan outrageKyle OrlandArs Technica5G - Press START to PlayMake Hack RepeatYouTubeI Am Rich: The Story of the World's Strangest Mobile AppAntoni Zolciak In’saneLab0:38:34Genre in GamesWikipedia says “Genres are not usually defined by the actual content of the game.”“List of accolades received by Grand Theft Auto V”  - WikipediaWikipediaTurns out, Call of Duty games have been nominated for a lot of BAFTAs over the years.What makes an RPG an RPG: a universal definition Craig SternSinister DesignMass Effect - Don’t Touch ThatsvaalbardYouTubeMass Effect - Blasto! (hilarious)Generic GamingYouTubeLudonarrative Dissonance in BioshockClint HawkingClick NothingNaughy Dog Doesn’t Get Ludonarrative DissonanceAlessio PalumbowccftechA good critical review of Jason Schreier’s book “Blood, Sweat, And Pixels,” which Mark read recently and really liked.

Uh oh… they're back… it's EVIL GAMES CLUB!Snide laugh! Malicious gafaw! In this, our second evil episode, your evil hosts revisit some of the dumb topics Nice Games Club covered in previous episodes, and correct the record where required. We're at it again, being evil, that is!Dale posts bugs on Instagram now. - InstagramThis is the spider Dale was talking about in the intro. - Instagram0:02:46Crafting SystemsThis topic is a followup to the episode "It's against the law to stop."5 Approaches to Crafting Systems in Games (and Where to Use Them)Alexander KingEnvato Tuts+The absolute best video game crafting systemsTy ArthurGame SkinnyHow The Witcher 3 succeeds where Mass Effect: Andromeda falls shortJody MacgregorPC GamerMass Effect: Andromeda's Menus Are A MessAlex WalkerKotaku AustraliaGames like Fallout 4 take crafting too far for the average playerBlackTideTVGameSkinnyFallout 4 Has A Ton Of Junk, And It's Stressing Me Out”Patricia HernandezKotaku0:26:23Game JamsThis is a followup to the episodes"Bananas, from here to eternity."and this episode which talks about Dylan on the Train JamGDC 2017 Special (Part 1)Global Game Jam 2018 starts Jan 26th.“Echoes of Kai Anders” (Adia and Stephen’s GGJ 2017 game).Adia Alderson and Stephen McGregor et al.GGJ“Listen Up, Four Eyes” (Dylan, Martha, and Mark’s GGJ 2017 game).Dylan Skerbitz, Martha Megarry, Mark LaCroix et al.GGJA list of upcoming Game JamsGame jams on itch.ioindiegamejams.comGameJolt JamsLudum Dare 40 takes place Dec 1st-4th, 2017Your evil hosts praised the organizer of Train Jam 2017, Adriel Wallick.@MsMinotaurTwitter(off topic!)A Musical Character Customization Trick For Everyone To CopyKirk HamiltonKotaku0:52:39Bad Gamedev HabitsThis topic is a followup to the episode"Can I tweet about this?"While this topic was mostly evil talk directed at Nice Game Club, it also included some uncharacteristically sage advice from your evil hosts. Take heed, or suffer!

Well, it finally happened. Dale LaCroix, (aka: "#1 Playtester," one-third of Evil Games Club, and Mark's wife) joins your nice hosts in the clubhouse to talk about playtesting!Stephen writes down everything Dale says about what it takes to be a good playtester, Martha laughs at all of Dale's jokes, and Mark deals with the fact that his wife doesn't really like his game.We also talked about the recent solar eclipse. Check out Martha's photo, taken at the moment of totalityPlaytestingProductionThis isn't the first time we've talked about playtesting on the show. We talked about it on the Interview with Nic VanMeertenGames User Research and AnalyticsThis is what Martha looks like when she is demoing Claw BreakerStephen's playtesting notebookDale LaCroixYour Nice StaffGuest HostsYour Evil HostsDale grew up playing computer games, but rediscovered her love of gaming with the more modern generation of consoles, starting when she insisted that she and husband Mark buy a then hard to come by Wii. Since then she can boast that she owns seven videogame consoles to her husband’s three.Dale manages the Nice Games Club Twitter account (@nicegamesclub) where she mostly posts and retweets nice things, but can promise it won’t be free of the swears, or sarcastic comments about Gwent. Dale claims to be the #1 Playtester, a title she gave herself. But don’t take her feedback too seriously, especially if she says your game is too hard because she’s not particularly good at games. Dale is also a part of the Evil Games Club where she also likes to give critical feedback to the Nice Games Club.ProjectsReravelFelix Drags Dale Through The Marvel UniverseEvil Games ClubExternal linkDale's personal TwitterDale runs the Nice Games Club Twitter

This week, Martha has so much to talk about that she runs out of time, Stephen espouses the virtues of building your own gamedev tools, and Mark names the episode after a Star Trek thing because it's his birthday today so he gets to.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev.0:03:31Intro to Linguistics for Game DevelopersThe Legend of Zelda’s Hylian LanguageFandomThe Language Creation SocietyA list of constructed languages in video games.WikipediaMyst’s created language, D’ni.FandomUK Professors Go Primal With 'Far Cry'Gail HairstonUniversity of KentuckySIL’s Glossary of Linguistics article on sonority scaleSILSkyrim’s Dragon ShoutsMatt MillerGame InformerOmniglot is an encyclopedia of writing systems and languagesOmniglotThe Conlangers Library game listConlangers LibraryNo Man’s Sky guide: alien races, languages and Monolith puzzlesJeffrey ParkinPolygonThe Rosetta Stone in Fez (Pretty obvious clue in hindsight.)mykwudYouTubeTwitter Blowup Leads to Sudden Cancellation of Fez II Owen GoodKotakuPlaying the Birth and Death of Language in 'Dialect'Alex RobertsWaypointScientology’s enturbulating lingo Britt PetersonThe Boston GlobeKathryn Hymes on Twitter@chiclashawTwitterThe Language Construction Kit, a book Martha recommended, is available for free…bookDescribing Morphosyntax: A Guide For Field Linguists is the other book Martha r…bookSpeaking ‘Star Trek’: Meet the Man Who Made Up the Klingon LanguageMatt BlitzPopular MechanicsThe Klingon Language Institute is a thing that exists.International Phonetic AlphabetWikipediaMass Effect: Meeting the Elcor AmbassadorThieving HIppoYouTubeGaming’s favorite VR mouse uses sign language in the cutest wayAllegra FrankPolygonCantonese vs. MandarinOff the Great WallYouTubeFeast Your Eyes on This Beautiful Linguistic Family TreeArika OkrentMental FlossThe Conlangery Podcast is a neat podcast about linguistics and conlang.Podcast0:44:57Making Your Own ToolsWe referenced a few of our episodes during the show: "75% sure.""The Stevechievement."GDC 2017 Special (Part 1)GDC 2017 Special (Part 2)Stephen’s tool he recently made for Fingeance.Stephen McGregorTwitterTech Toolbox microtalks at GDC 2017GDCOur friends at Howling Moon made Super Fast Soft Shadow.Unity

"Nice Plays" are video episodes where your nice hosts play and talk about a game, and after 17 minutes, our egg timer goes off and we give our final thoughts. In this episode, Mark plays the recent indie game Boor, and your nice hosts all find a lot to like about it!Game: Boor (http://www.dazlog.com/boor/)Developer: DazlogStudioPublisher: Badland GamesPlatform: Windows, Mac, LinuxRelease date: February 14th, 2017Genre: 2D Puzzle-PlatformerSummary: "Eden is a human colony far from Earth. To develop a better society, settlers made an artificial intelligence, BOOR, to help them, but this machine turned against them. When a little girl accidentally lands on the planet of Eden, she discovers BOOR has taken over and there are only a few survivors left. With her special ability to multiply herself, she'll help them destroy BOOR and reclaim the world."Martha and Mark worked on a game for the 2017 Global Game Jam about eyeballs!Boor was made by a single developer, a topic we discuss in a previous episode.Solo DevelopmentVideo

"Nice Plays" are video episodes where your nice hosts play and talk about a game, and after 17 minutes, our egg timer goes off and we give our final thoughts. In this episode, Stephen plays the NES port of the classic arcade game Solomon's Key!Game: Solomon's KeyDeveloper: TecmoPublisher: TecmoPlatform: NESRelease date: July 1987 (US)Genre: 2D Puzzle-PlatformerSummary: "You and Dana, the wizard of Lyrac, must unlock Solomon’s scroll of secrets to restore peace in the constellations. With Dana’s magic, fire, and mystical powers, you will help release the imprisoned Princess of the Fairies and harness the evil forces within the constellations. But first, you need the key!"30 years on, people are still arguing over how to pronounce NES - Hugh Langley, TechRadarSolomon’s Key was indeed part of the very first batch of games for the Wii Virt… - WikipediaSolomon’s Key cheat codesVideo

It's a slightly experimental show this week, as we try to see what a two-topic episode looks like. Also, Martha defends her love of coleslaw, Stephen still doesn't really like VR, and Mark has almost completely lost his voice.Discuss this week's episode on Reddit in r/gamedev here.0:05:54Video Game ImmersionOur pal and VR innovator Andrew Fladeboe.Representation and Embodiment in Virtual RealityJorge AlborPopMattersWould You Kindly Read This Article on Gaming’s Greatest Plot Twist?Mike DiverViceOur recent episode of Nice Plays: OneShotNice Games ClubYouTubeEnhancing VR Immersion with the CPU in Star Trek: Bridge CrewCristiano FIntel DevelopersCognitive Flow: The Psychology of Great Game DesignSean BaronGame DeveloperWhy Sonic the Hedgehog is awful, and always has beenRyan BrownMIrrorRequiem, a “roleplaying” mod for The Elder Scrolls: SkyrimMark is up to 118 shrines in Breath of the Wild. Stephen is not happy.0:39:27Main Menus and First ImpressionsWhy do console games require a button press before showing the main menu?StackExchangeGame Design: Splash ScreenJesse FreemanMediumThe Ten Commandments Of Video Game MenusKirk HamiltonKotakuWe didn’t get a chance to talk about it in the episode, but here is a cool brea…Mike FaheyKotaku

This week, your nice hosts are still relaxing in Mark's dining room for an episode that has it all: a disagreement about Bluetooth, some good ClawTalk™, and the shortest conversation ever had on the subject of tabs vs. spaces. All this, plus a slightly higher than usual number of wild digressions.Discuss this episode on Reddit in this thread on r/gamedev!0:01:29Input Methods and ControlsStephen’s controller of choice, Power A FUSION.New Windows 10 Xbox wireless controller adapter delayed into 2018Gabe GurwinDigital TrendsMetro Nexus’ tutorial in actionMark LaCroixTwitterBehold, the unintuitive enjoyment of Claw Breaker.Martha MegarryYouTube“How to Claw Effectively”Ture VangaurdYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY-o0zYxjyEGame Maker's ToolkitYouTube“You say jump, I say how high?” Martin FasterholdtMartha’s favorite Fingeance fighter, Sparky.This goofy game turns your entire keyboard into the controllerAndrew WebsterThe VergeAlternative controls game Butt Sniffin Pugs, shown at Ctrl.Alt.GDC.Rocksmith Vs. Rock Band 3 – The Pro Guitar ShowdownJeff AtwoodFake Plastic RockGuy beats Dark Souls with DK BongosJordan DevoreDestructoidGameplay of racing game Kirby Air RideMutch GamesYouTubeWe mentioned this previous episode"We joke here."we also mentioned this one"Will you be the best with me?"0:36:49Coding SylesWhat is your preferred Indent Style?Whatever you do, don’t code like this.@HisCursednessTwitterDon’t be a Stephen: Comment your code!Martha uses a cool HTML template engine called Pug.Getting started with Pug template engineAntónio RegadasMediumRussian nesting dolls are called matryoshka.WikipediaCamelCase or snake_case?DarkBASIC, which Stephen used when he was young, went open-source in 2016!the Game CreatorsHistory around Pascal Casing and Camel CasingBrad AbramsMIcrosoft“Namespacing” in Objective-CMattname spacing hipsterJetBrains IDE’s: Webstorm for JavaScript and Rider for C#.Visual Studio Code is a lightweight Visual Studio that Mark really likes.1:13:45Splatoon 2, ur, I mean ShootersApparently, Splatoon devs didn’t realize the comparison to Super Mario Sunshine…Sean AyresNintendo EnthusiastDesigning FPS Multiplayer MapsDodgerOn Game DesignDesign Patterns in FPS LevelsKenneth Hullett & Jim WhiteheadUniversity of California - Santa CruzLost PlanetSomeCallMeVidalYouTubeLost Planet's only sequelWoophoroYouTubeWe also referenced our episode on Violence in Games

This week, the clubhouse is being occupied by Glitch's Summer 2017 Immersion Program cohort, so your nice hosts relocate to Mark's kitchen and talk over tea with the astoundingly insightful and utterly charming Holly Harrison, professional social media and community manager, to talk about building and engaging with an audience online.Community ManagmentMarketingTide tries and fails to act cool in response to Mr. Clean... - @tide, Twitter...while Sonic the Hedgehog succeeds. - @sonic_hedgehog, TwitterArby’s does some cool video game things on Twitter. - @arbys, TwitterThe true owner of @Velveeta - @Velveeta, TwitterYou Know An Internet Joke Is Kinda Over Once Nintendo's Had A Turn - EThan Gach, KotakuBuilding audience early with visuals-first development in Ooblets - Chris Priestman, Game DeveloperConsumers Aren’t Looking to Buy From Brands That Are ‘Cool’ on Social - SproutSocialThe Simple Facebook Posting Strategy That Helped us 3x Our Reach and Engagement - Brian Peters, BufferFollow the MNgamedev Bot on Twitter - @MNgamedev_bot, TwitterMN Game Dev Slack - mngamedevbot, SlackWhat We Know About The Instagram Shadowban, And How To Discover If You’ve Been … - PLANNPaper Darts, Literary Arts MagazineComcast and Verizon’s Sneaky Push to Kill Net Neutrality Is Just Embarrassing - Libby Watson, GizmodoBioware "Kissing Day" tweet. - @Bioware, TwitterInnes McKendrick tweets about egg cups. - Innes McKendrick, TwitterCheck your Twitter analytics - TwitterHolly HarrisonGuest HostsGuestHolly Harrison is a occasional guest host for the show and will sometimes join in on roundtable and interview episodes.

It's Nice Games' Club take on the Let's Play! Introducing "Nice Plays," where the Nice Games Club gamedevs play nice games. Our first Nice Play features the recent indie (re-)release "OneShot." We talk about the game's unique design choices as we fumble around to figure out the controls.But, like for every Nice Play, after 17 minutes of gameplay our egg timer goes off, which means it's time to end the show.Game: OneShot (website)Developer: Little Cat FeetPublisher: DegicaRelease date: June 30th, 2014 (original), December 6, 2016 (remake, Steam)Genre: Adventure, PuzzleSummary: "OneShot is a surreal top down Puzzle/Adventure game with unique gameplay capabilities. You are to guide a child through a mysterious world on a mission to restore its long-dead sun. The world knows you exist."Video

This week, Martha stops short of detailing the DNS protocol, Mark describes a completely different Star Trek VR thing which he made for the Minnesota Orchestra Hall, and Stephen explains how to lose like a real champ.Plus, like the classic 1985 film Clue, this episode has multiple endings!Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Stephen's headphone audio testing suiteWhite Land -  F-Zero Arranged, YouTubeThe Sea - Magic Pengel, YouTubeDo It  - Tuxedo, YouTubeStephen updated the feedback form! Let us have it!0:08:13Your Game’s WebsiteStand Still, Stay Silent, a webcomicCity of Hunger development blogMidwest Game Developers Facebook grouppresskitDomain Name SystemWikipediaThe Difference Between Shared Hosting, VPS, and Dedicated Hosting99robotsHTML5 Up (free, simple site templates)EverendOoblets0:36:31Game Exhibits and InstallationsMark’s “Holodeck” VR installation at Minnesota Orchestra Hall Installation, Gameplay, Photo, Animation, Props, People, More people!An Ode to the OkudagramWill NguyenTreknewsVR Snowball ShootersA Maze BerlinVR Pigeons at A Maze Berlin 2017spuniorYouTubePeter Molydeux, a parody Twitter accountTwitterThe world of weird video games at Alt.Ctrl.GDCJessica CondittEngadgetHands-on with Line Wobbler: a 16 foot tall, one-dimensional dungeon crawlerNick RobinsonPolygon1:06:40LosingDota 2 Tournament Holds Rage-Quit Competition For FansEric Van AllenKotakuBayonetta Pro Upsets Smash's Best To Win Evo ChampionshipEric Van AllenKotakuVVVVVV No Death ModemicrodicePeercastYouTubeSuper Mario Odyssey Won't Have Game Over ScreensHope CorriganIGN

The clubhouse A/C broke, and it got so hot during the recording of this episode that your nice hosts started to get a little delirious.But before they completely melted down, Mark talked about how Enemy AI can be a great tool for both level design and narrative design, Stephen collaborated on a discussion about co-op games, and Martha shared her excitement about the recently held Summer Games Done Quick speedrunning event.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread at r/gamedev!Stephen is on Twitter @leonyx03Some highlights from Mark's VR night!highlight 1highlight 2highlight 30:03:00Enemy AIDesign Club - Super Mario Bros: Level 1-1 - How Super Mario Mastered Level Desi…Extra CreditsYouTubeNobody dies on the first goombaSephzillaDestructoid2007 AiGameDev.com Awards: Technical Innovation in Game AIEnemy design and enemy AI for melee combat systemsBart VossenGame DeveloperAnalysing Mario to Master Super Mario MakerGame Maker's ToolkitYouTubeChip’s Challenge:1AZabrush CimahiYouTubeSaltybetTwitchseebotschatTwitchThe Perfect Organism | The AI of Alien: IsolationTommy ThompsonAI and GamesA Thousand Tiny Details: Emergent Storytelling in Slime RancherSteven LumpkinTwitterPeople Have Discovered The Perfect Way To Mess With Your CatRachael KrishnaBuzzfeedMeet the Artist Using Ritual Magic to Trap Self-Driving CarsBeckett MufsonVice0:29:40Co-op GamesMartha asked Mark to cut a part out of this section, but Stephen edited this episode, so...Overcooked: How To Make Co-op Cookery FunPhilippa WarrRock Paper ShotgunMiyamoto talks Super Mario Galaxy co-opAlexander SliwinskiEngadget0:47:42SpeedrunningAwesome Games Done QuickSpeedDemosArchiveOcarina of Time - Skip 99% of Traveling Across the FieldSwordless LinkYouTubeThe Man Who Does The Impossible in Super Mario 64Patricia HernandezKotakuSpeedrunning RulesBlindfolded speedrun raceNoko OnlineYouTubeI can't believe this actually happened (glitch discovered during blindfolded sp…TokyoboiYouTubeKotaku’s speedrun articlesKotakuIntelligent Qube by caneofpacciGames Done QuickYouTubeTASBot plays Brain Age by micro500, xy2_ in 20:06 - Games Done QuickYouTubeWorld Record Progression: Super Mario WorldSummoning SaltYouTube0:00 / 29:59 I Am Bread by Blood_Thunder in 20:50Games Done QuickYouTube0:00 / 1:06:01 The Talos Principle by Azorae in 58:16 Games Done QuickYouTubeTomb Raider: Underworld hard modeJarekSpeed Demos ArchiveYes, you can speedrun in FingeanceNew Trick Has Ocarina of Time Speedrunners Debating What A Glitch Actually IsHeather AlexandraKotaku

In a previous episode, we mentioned that Mark's game, Metro Nexus, recently underwent a usability study, so for this episode, we brought in the Games User Researcher who conducted it, Hannah Murphy!Hannah talks about her work, explains the value of UX research for indie developers, and discusses the study she did for Metro Nexus.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Games User Research and AnalyticsUI / UXMetro Nexus User ResearchMetro Nexus Usability Report - Hannah MurphyMetro Nexus gameplay trailer video.Metro Nexus tutorial screen gif - TwitterLinkst for User ResearchIGDA Games User Research Special Interest GroupUX & QA Testing: What's the Difference? - Lindsay Lauters Miller, Game DeveloperMIT’s Game Lab’s list of recommended courses includes a few which are focused o…How to break into Games User Research - Steve BromleyList of UX degrees offered by universitiesBest Colleges with Human Computer Interaction Degrees in the US - Universities.com#GamesUR on Twitter - TwitterHow to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation - Jakob Nielsen, Nielsen Norman GroupGroupthink - Groupthink - WikipediaOn Indie Game Pricing - Dan Adelman, Game DeveloperIn the outro, we joke about our recent Live Episode! Listen to it!LIVE from GlitchCon 2017Hannah MurphyGuestHannah Murphy is a professional Computer User Inferface researcher and a freelance Games User Researcher.External linkHannah’s GamesUR Blog.Hannah Murphy on Twitter: @h_jmurphy.

Martha brags about her computer, Mark finds yet another excuse to talk about Star Trek, and Stephen is still holding out hope for a Smash Bros. announcement.Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Glitch Community Events CalendarWe talked about Mark’s VR Night as if it happened already, but after we recorde…Ice Cold Games0:05:08Building a PCProject Scorpio Xbox Development KitXboxYouTubeOne Xbox One X BoxJess Brohard TwitterHTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Windows Mixed Reality system requirementsCale HuntVR HeadsMartha picks her PC parts on PCPartPicker!The Big Form Factor Guide – ATX10stripeUgly gaming PCs are our own faultVlad SavovThe VergeProject Scorpio rocks high-end vapor chamber coolerDerek StricklandTweakTownIf you’re in the Twin Cities, Techdump is a great resource for recycled PC com…Want help? Check out r/buildapcformeWhat You Need To Know About OverclockingAlex WalkerKotaku Australia0:37:18Pen and Paper GamesNew Ships and Crews Take Off with Star Trek AdventuresJeff McArthurGeek & SundryHurdy-GurdyWikipediaMark created a bot that tweets Star Trek technobabble 8 times a dayTech the Tech @techthetechTwitter200 Word RPG ChallengeD&D 4th Edition – What Went Wrong?Grey LotusGrey LotusThe DwarvenautJosh BishopDocumentry FilmEmergent Gameplay: Letting the Players Create Their Own Fun”David DawPCWorldAnalysis: Story And The Trouble With 'Emergent' Narratives Tom CrossGame Developer

Mwa ha ha! For our first villainous episode, your evil hosts discuss what their deal is, do a deep dive into Quantic Foundry's Gamer Motivation Profile, and rail against Mario Kart battle mode. Enjoy! Or don't! We don't care! We're evil!Discuss this evil episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!0:01:44An Evil IntroductionPlay every game from this year's Train JamCharlie HallPolygonWash my HandsBlind ShootoutDylan was a guest on Nice Games Club for two episodes from GDC.GDC 2017 Special (Part 1)GDC 2017 Special (Part 2)http://www.phpbbhq.com/developmentofphp.phpRen'Py, a visual novel engineInk, a scripting/markup language for visual novelsChoiceScript, a programming language for choose-your-own-adventure gamesAdia has been a guest on Nice Games Club for two Co-op Recap episodes: Co-op Recap: Interactive FictionAdia was also on this Co-op Recap episode!Co-op Recap: TransmediaWhy Rubber Duck Debugging is the best way to debug your codeAlec MorganaZenHubFingeance, Escape Industries0:15:20Gamer Motivation ProfileGamer Modivation ProfileQuantic FoundryLEGO City Undercover still has some lengthy load times on SwitchChris CarterDestructoidA Critique of Radar ChartsGrahm OddsScott LogicZelda: Breath of the Wild rupee farming - How to make rupees with bowlingJake Lear and Jeff RamosPolygonThe Natural: The Trouble Portraying Blackness in Video GamesEvan NarcisseKotakuAt E3 2017, Black Characters' Hair Looks Better Than EverGita JacksonKotakuAnimal Crossing Fans Want More Than Just White Skin Colors In New LeafPatricia HernandezKotakuThe Complete, Untold History of HaloSteve HaskeViceThe Story Behind Mass Effect: Andromeda's Troubled Five-Year DevelopmentJason SchreierKotakuLet's Talk About: The cultural significance of Saints Row 4Chris PlantePolygonThe Secret Behind Scribblenauts: Making Objects By Hand (And Lots Of Crunch)Jason SchreierKotaku1:22:23Mario KartNo links for this section, just evil talk.

In this episode, you nice hosts discuss some current events and engage in some future prognostications. Plus: more puns than reasonable.Apologies for the slightly odd audio quality on this one. The band playing at the bar downstairs was a bit louder and started a bit earlier than we expected. Much sound modeling. So noise reduction.Discuss this episode on Reddit using this thread on r/gamedev!0:04:31Future ProjectsA Way Out blew us away at E3, but can the devs keep pace with their own ambitio…Charlie HallPolygonOur episode about Serial Game Design, featuring Lane Davis."I am a Juice Journeyman!"BloodRayne: Betrayal ReviewColin MoriatyIGN Star Fox Guard: The Kotaku ReviewStephen TotiloKotakuFinishing A GameDerek YuMake Games tumblr0:37:40Steam DirectValve sets Steam Direct self-publishing fee at $100Samit SarkarPolygonValve is not your friend, and Steam is not healthy for gamingTim ColwillPolygonWay back in our second episode, we talked with Beth and Andy Korth about Steam Greenlight.Steam GreenlightThe hidden world of Steam tradingMitch BowmanPolygon0:53:02Racing GamesHydro Thunder Hurricane ReviewJustin CalvertGameSpotRetrospective: Star Wars Episode I RacerMartyn CarrollEurogamerStar Wars Episode 1 Racer: Watto Hums Cantina SongEventHorizon5YouTubeMark talked about the original PlayStation’s wonky affine texture mapping, which was not “perspective correct.”

Nic VanMeerten is a Games User Researcher and one of the co-founders of Glitch. He talks to your nice hosts about how meeting with researchers working on League of Legends at Riot Games jump-started his career in Games User Research, the different research methods used in GUR, the benefits of qualitative versus quantitative approaches, working with Unity Analytics, and more!Discuss this week’s episode on Reddit using this thread in r/gamedev!Games User Research and AnalyticsUI / UXLeague Of Legends' Neverending War On Toxic Behavior - Dillion Skiffington, KotakuHow League Of Legends Enables Toxicity - Yannick LeJacq, KotakuUnderstanding User Research - Maurice Tan, Game DeveloperGames User Research: What’s Different? -  Jakob Nielsen , Nielsen Norman GroupHannah Murphy - Games User Researcher BlogZodiappHow To Tame Your Analytics - Sasa Stublic, Game DeveloperWhat is R?Nic mentioned the Unity Analytics public API. We talked about APIs on last week’s episode."75% sure."Nic VanMeertenGuestNic VanMeerten is a Games User Researcher and one of the co-founders of Glitch.Want to find Nic on the Internet? Search Nicolaas VanMeerten on Google! or follow him on twitterExternal link@nicolaasvm

In our second-longest ever, Mark explains the difference between an API and an SDK (and why it's important to know), Martha got her phone mugged and lost all her mobile game saves, and Stephen leads a discussion about designing for difficulty in your games (but mainly as an excuse to talk about fighting games again).All this, plus your nice hosts celebrate 30 episodes, and Mark doesn't edit out something Martha asks him to, but only because Martha was the one who edited this episode.0:02:31Runtimes, SDKs, and APIsPopular RuntimesJava Virtual MachineWikipediaAIR RuntimeWikipediaDalvik runtimeWikipediaAndroid Runtime (ART)WikipediaCommon Language Runtime (.NET)WikipediaArticles“A Primer For Unity Developers: What The Heck Is Mono?”- Logan BookerLifehacker AU“What is the Difference Between an API and an SDK?Kristopher SandovalNordic APIs BlogStarling 2 Starling WikiCitrus EngineGeneric Animation Framework0:23:34Mobile GamesSlayin reviewChris CarterDestructoidQuizUp is trying to reinvent itself by turning into a social networkJosh LowensohnThe VergeAlphabear Review – Why Do Bears Like Spelling Bees?Gamer BloggerHow to Monetize an Infinite RunnerMichail KatkoffGame AnalyticsVirtual Buttons Are Holding Mobile Games BackMuir FreelandGame DeveloperMiyamoto Plays Super Mario Run, Eats CakeBuzzFeed MultiplayerYouTubeCivilization Revolution 2 is a Good Mobile Game, But is It a Good Civ Game?Alex NewhouseGameSpotTurns out, Hercules is both Greek and Roman.Tufts UniversitySmash Hit Is The Most Addictive Android And iOS Game Of The Year So FarMihir Patkar Make Use OfI've been texting with an astronautLaura HudsonBoing BoingSpaceteam reviewRich StantonEurogamer0:54:27DifficultyStreet Fighter V Fans Are Not Sure What To Make Of Seemingly Simplistic Newcome…Ian WalkerKotakuYomiUrban dictionaryZelda: Breath of the Wild’s first DLC pack sounds really neatSamit Sarkar,PolygonHard Mode: Good Difficulty Versus Bad DifficultyPaul SuddabyEnvato Tuts+Difficulty is Difficult: Designing for Hard Modes in GamesDaniel BoutrosGame DeveloperWhere Did the Challenge Go? The Problem with Skyrimj-u-i-c-eLevel SkipThe Civilization series has a difficulty problem, and Civ 6 solves it without e… Jordan ForwardPCGamesNhttps://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/6cg9k1/cmv_dark_souls_isnt_hard_…Vectornaut, r/ChangeMyViewRedditYoshi’s Woolly World is tougher than it looks, but only if you want it to beMatt GerardiAV ClubTim Schafer recalls when Steven Spielberg asked for a hint in Day of the Tentac…Owen GoodPolygonTim Schafer's take on 'good puzzle theory' and being stuck as entertainmentMicheal McWhertorPolygon