This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Huw Millward the creator of Warsim: The Realm of Aslona, an entirely text based asci kingdom simulation game (that was written to a single code file with 700K lines of code).
Links to my Guest
➤ Play Warsim on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/659540/Warsim_The_Realm_of_Aslona/
➤ Dim Parcio (Band): https://www.instagram.com/dimparcioband/
Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):
➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - Why WARSIM worked
1:52 - From tiny sales to quitting the day job
3:09 - Sticking with a "failed" game
5:06 - Obsessive Updates
10:10 - Procedural Generation and Emergent Stories
12:17 - The Throne Room’s Birth
17:11 - Roleplaying a ruler: many playstyles
20:59 - A 700k-line monolith
26:56 - Follow-the-fun workflow, 500 co-designers
31:16 - Moving beyond ASCII: new studio, higher stakes
33:12 - Text games: should you make them?
37:59 - Marketing a game with no graphics
42:42 - Word-of-mouth and biggest wins
46:39 - Slumbox reveal: city vs wasteland
50:18 - Choosing GameMaker over Unity
51:46 - Timeline, team, delegation, funding paths
55:56 - Life outside dev: band, GDC adventures, merging music and games
58:11 - Becoming a “real” game dev and balancing identities
01:00:10 - Advice for devs: persistence, build what you love, design smart, community
01:04:02 - Proc-gen principles and writing tips
01:10:09 - Jonas’ advice for Slumbox
01:12:01 - Jonas’ next project and goodbye
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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1:13:34
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1:13:34
TikTok and Shorts Are Insane for Indie Devs
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Johan Grönvall who managed to succeed with his debut game Bopl Battle in some part due to his TikTok and YouTube Shorts strategy, in other parts due to his analytical perspective and going above and beyond to serve a strong vision for his game.
Links to my Guest
➤ Play Bopl Battle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1686940/Bopl_Battle/
➤ Johan's YouTube Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@johangronvall9473/shorts
0:00 - Intro
0:47 - Why He Quit His Job During The Pandemic
1:55 - The Game That Took 6 Years to Make
4:41 - Starting By Improving on an Unpopular Game
8:22 - The Motivation for Making Games
9:36 - The Big Rewrite: Creating His Own Engine in Unity
12:52 - What is Lockstep Networking?
15:23 - Why Building on Top of Unity Can Be a Mistake
18:48 - Coding Unique Physics That Unity Can't Handle
23:31 - The Only Marketing That Actually Worked
25:50 - How to Create Viral Shorts & TikToks
33:32 - How Many Wishlists Do Viral Videos Generate?
36:53 - A Genius Strategy for YouTube Content?
41:15 - Why the Demo Was Almost a Full Game
45:28 - Turning Bugs Into Beloved Features
51:30 - The Struggle to Start The Next Project
55:52 - The Explore vs. Exploit Dilemma for Creatives
59:14 - Chasing "Success" as a Motivator
1:03:47 - Why Indie Developers Should Be MORE Ambitious
1:10:09 - Succeeding By Doing Everything "Wrong"
1:16:33 - You Don't Have to Be a Super Genius to Succeed
1:19:33 - How to Avoid Delusion as a Developer
1:24:24 - What's More Important: A Fun Game or an Appealing Idea?
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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1:26:17
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1:26:17
Test Your Game’s Potential in Just 3 Days
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest René Habermann who is behind games such as Domekeeper and PVKK (Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant), running a games studio called Bippinbits together with his wive. In this conversation we dive into how to validate your game ideas early.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist PVKK on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2956040/PVKK_Planetenverteidigungskanonenkommandant/
➤ Play Domekeeper on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1637320/Dome_Keeper/
➤ Bippinbits Website: https://bippinbits.com/
0:00 - Introduction
0:50 - Why Indie Games Fail
2:05 - The Minimalist Approach to Game Development
3:09 - Using Validation Points to Succeed
4:10 - Fun vs. Appeal: What's More Important?
8:00 - The Crucial Role of "Fantasy" in a Game's Success
12:21 - How YouTubers Can Spark a Game's Success
17:10 - Can a Game Succeed Without Appealing Visuals?
19:39 - Why Did Dome Keeper Work So Well on YouTube?
23:08 - Designing for Yourself vs. The Market
26:26 - "Make a Game You Enjoy": Good or Bad Advice?
32:03 - Using Itch.io and Game Jams to Test Ideas
39:05 - Is it Possible to Enjoy the "Tryhard" Approach to Game Dev?
43:27 - From a 3-Day Prototype to a Full Game
47:37 - The Demo vs. The Announcement: What to Do First?
59:10 - What to Do When a Validation Point Fails
01:06:17 - The Growth of Bippinbits Studio
01:17:30 - Rene's Role in a Growing Studio
01:23:18 - The "Mini-Teams" Approach to Scaling
01:30:21 - Sharing Profits With The Team
01:40:43 - Why Bippinbits Prefers the Godot Engine
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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1:47:17
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1:47:17
Make An Online Game That Lasts 30 Years
This is a Game Dev Podcast, today with my guest Benjamin Zuckerer from Cip Soft, the creators of Tibia, an MMO that has been under continuous operation and development for over 30 years. This is an entertaining and educational look behind the curtain of how to make and run online games that last for decades.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist Persist Online on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2082980/Persist_Online/
➤ Play Tibia Online: https://www.tibia.com/mmorpg/free-multiplayer-online-role-playing-game.php
➤ Jobs at Cip Soft, Germany: https://www.cipsoft.com/de/karriere/stellenangebote
0:00 - Intro
1:02 - The Origins of Tibia (1995)
3:04 - Pioneering the 'GMUD' Genre
4:25 - Tibia's Place in Early MMO History
5:37 - Surviving the Dot-Com Bubble
8:43 - Inventing the Freemium Model
10:44 - The Story Behind the Name 'CipSoft'
12:32 - Development Before Modern Tools
13:48 - Company Growth & Evolving Roles
15:21 - The First Mobile MMORPG & Launch Strategy
17:29 - Joining the Games Industry
19:13 - The Role of a Product Manager
22:58 - The 'Duping' Problem in MMOs
28:25 - Team Culture & Security Threats
32:50 - Single Player vs. Online Game Development
37:28 - Why There Is No Tibia 2
42:26 - The Struggle for a Second Hit
47:08 - The Birth of 'Persist Online'
51:12 - From Manager to Maker and Back
53:43 - Building the 'Persist Online' Team
57:09 - Prototyping & Co-Developing With the Community
1:01:45 - How to Listen to Your Players
1:07:21 - The Early Access Development Model
1:11:00 - The Economics of Free-to-Play
1:17:49 - Ethical Monetization
1:23:38 - CipSoft & Persist Online Today
1:27:53 - 20% Time: Fostering Innovation
1:31:04 - Testing 'Persist Online' (Pre-Alpha)
1:35:45 - The Challenges of Launching on Steam
1:45:28 - 'Persist Online's' Steam Release Strategy
1:53:57 - Advice for Indie Online Game Developers
2:02:13 - The Exponential Cost of Making Online Games
2:11:14 - Why Make Online Games? The Service Model
2:17:17 - Engaging Players with a Limited Scope
2:22:13 - Outro & Final Advice
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
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2:24:24
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2:24:24
Make Your Indie Game Go Viral
This is a Game Dev Podcast with my guest Gavin Eisenbeisz (Two Star) and your host Jonas Tyroller. In this episode I want to learn how to make wildly successful indie games that go viral a lot.
Links to my Guest
➤ Wishlist Cuffbust on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2592220/CUFFBUST/
➤ 2nd Channel (Game Design): @ScientiaLudos
➤ Main Channel: @TwoStarGames
0:00 - Intro
0:57 - Look Where The Market Is Going
4:02 - What Makes For a Viral Game Idea
9:05 - Designing For Content Creators
15:33 - How Rare Are Million Dollar Game Ideas
19:47 - Why High Action Games Are Bad For Retention
26:01 - Creating Brand Recognition
31:43 - Mass Content Ability
35:36 - When To Scrap Your Idea
37:35 - The No-Prototypes Approach
41:08 - Using The Trailer To Test Demand
44:36 - How Content Creators Line Up To Play Your Game
47:28 - Concept vs. Execution | What Matters Most
51:18 - Indicators That You're On Track
53:31 - Having Your Own YouTube Channel
59:14 - Learning and Theory Crafting | Why and How
1:04:38 - Gavin About Not Enjoying Game Dev As Much Anymore
1:08:40 - Gavin and I Compare Our Approaches
My game "Thronefall":
➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/
➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8
➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview
My game "Will You Snail":
➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/
➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK
For the game developers among you:
➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ
A game dev podcast for (aspiring) indie game developers, hosted by a "professional". (I am behind the Steam titles Thronefall, ISLANDERS, and Will You Snail.) Because I don’t rely on the show for income, the vibe is relaxed with minimal monetization. We focus on hands-on indie development and occasionally branch into broader game-dev topics. Episodes are also available in video on YouTube.
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