Art & Craft

Before the term "indie" had the cachet it does now, Nick Suttner was one of the voices shining a light on small, artful games as a writer for EGM and 1UP. That passion led him into developer relations, where he worked for years helping creators bring their work to PlayStation & Oculus platforms. Join us as we talk with Nick about the art of the release strategy, the shifting landscape of games writing, and the allure of the mysterious.

Death is everywhere in video games, and nowhere at all. From falling down a hole in Super Mario Bros. to falling off a cliff in the Uncharted series, death is a tried and true mechanic. Much rarer is the attempt to reconcile with it. Join us as we talk with Gabby DaRienzo about her game A Mortician's Tale: a narrative experience that has you preparing bodies for their final goodbye. Together, we discuss death-positivity, reconciling with loss as you create games, and the value of short, premium experiences.

Not all games will resonate with all players, but what happens when you set about making something you know from the start might frustrate people? This was the challenge facing Benedict Fritz and the team making TumbleSeed. Join us as we talk with him about crafting with conviction, finding the right amount of friction, and the beauty of hard-fought mastery.

With so many digital tools used to create them, the term "hand-crafted" has become a marketing buzzword in the games industry. It's meant stir up nostalgia, and bring to mind images of tinkerers toiling away in a workshop. For Luke Whittaker and State of Play Games, though, there couldn't be a more fitting descriptor. Join us as we talk with him about bringing digital experiences to life with physical materials, and the exhilarating uncertainty of making art.

Journey and What Remains of Edith Finch are two very stirring games, both of which take different approaches to interaction and storytelling. Chris Bell was a designer on both of them. Join us as we chat with him about connecting powerfully with players, freeing yourself from the weight of expectations, and finding inspiration in the unlikeliest of places.

In our first episode of Art & Craft, we talk with Ken Wong, Lead Designer on Ustwo's mind-bending mobile hit Monument Valley, and founder of newly formed independent studio Mountains. Join Snowman - the creator's of Alto's Adventure - as we chat with Ken about the importance of discomfort in creating art, the misconceptions of "overnight success," the tenets of good design, and what it's like to leave something successful to strike out on your own.