Best Gamemaker Podcasts (2025)

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Your validation passed. Your players hated it. Here’s why. | MAG #10 27:54

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25m ago27:54

27:54

Most game studios either skip validation entirely or waste hundreds of thousands on academic testing that doesn't move the needle. Both approaches kill products. In this episode, we discuss why product validation is the difference between success and years of wasted development—and introduces two frameworks to fix your process. You'll discover: The…

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From "Katamari Damacy" Through "to a T" with Keita Takahashi 1:44:57

1h ago1:44:57

1:44:57

Trent Kusters chats with creator of the cult classic Katamari Damacy and the recently released to a T, Keita Takahashi. Together they discuss how he went from sculpting to his first job at Bandai Namco; the origins and development of Katamari Damacy and his subsequent works; his philosophy on creating games with experiences not available in the rea…

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Brandon Adler, game director, The Outer Worlds 2. 1:20:01

16h ago1:20:01

1:20:01

Brandon Adler is an American game director and producer whose career has been defined by his work on some of Obsidian Entertainment’s most acclaimed role-playing games. After serving in Iraq with the U.S. Air Force, my guest studied Game Art & Design at The Art Institute of California. He joined Obsidian as a tester for Neverwinter Nights 2 before …

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Journey From "Katamari Damacy" Through "to a T" with Keita Takahashi 1:44:57

2h ago1:44:57

1:44:57

Trent Kusters chats with creator of the cult classic Katamari Damacy and the recently released to a T, Keita Takahashi. Together they discuss how he went from sculpting to his first job at Bandai Namco; the origins and development of Katamari Damacy and his subsequent works; his philosophy on creating games with experiences not available in the rea…

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Correspondence Special #8: Catching guests out, coding on ships, and best moments in games 28:48

2h ago28:48

28:48

In this special correspondence edition, Simon reads out your letters and answers your questions. Why are guests so often caught out when asked to name their console? What is the best moment in a video game? What might a My Perfect Console game jam look like? And can Simon settle a dispute between a father and his kids in the car?All this and much m…

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Andy Davidson, creator of Worms. 1:27:53

17h ago1:27:53

1:27:53

My guest today is a British game designer whose ingenuity and persistence turned a bedroom project into one of the most iconic multiplayer series in video games. In 1991, he took the characters from the popular Amiga game Lemmings and placed them in a game of his own, a simulation of artillery fire. At school, the game proved popular among his frie…

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Obsidian's Josh Sawyer's Thoughts on Creating Engaging RPGs 1:08:50

3d ago1:08:50

1:08:50

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Josh Sawyer, Studio Design Director at Obsidian Entertainment. Together they discuss his thoughts on developing RPGs; what he learned from working at legendary studio Black Isle Studios; how to successfully adapt Dungeons & Dragons to video games; writing for games with dialogue stacks; parsing and implementing feedback…

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Shuhei Yoshida, former president, Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios. 1:23:17

1h ago1:23:17

1:23:17

Shuhei Yoshida is former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, and one of the most beloved figures in the video games industry. After graduating from Kyoto University with a degree in economics, he joined Sony in 1986 to coordinate the company’s PC business. Then, as one of the early members of the PlayStation project, he h…

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The Development World of RPGs with Jeff Gardiner 1:23:41

14d ago1:23:41

1:23:41

Adam Orth chats with Jeff Gardiner from Something Wicked Games. Together they discuss his long history in the world of RPG development including titles in the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series; the trials and tribulations associated with starting your own studio; the perilous state of the games industry from funding to consolidation; and the lessons…

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Danny Abbasi, musician, Miniseries. 1:19:54

21d ago1:19:54

1:19:54

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Your Analytics Stack Is Killing Your Studio (The New Meta: PostHog FTW) 46:18

20d ago46:18

46:18

Most game studios waste weeks of runway on the wrong analytics decision—here's how to avoid that mistake. Traditional analytics SDK vendors like Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Braze promise plug-and-play simplicity but deliver silent failures, contract negotiations, and escalating costs that can destroy startup velocity. In this episode, we discuss why t…

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Rami Ismail, gamemaker (Nuclear Throne, Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers, Australia Did It). 1:32:20

9d ago1:32:20

1:32:20

Rami is a developer, speaker, and global ambassador for indie games. As the co-founder of Vlambeer, he helped create a string of critically acclaimed titles—including Super Crate Box, Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers, and Nuclear Throne—that helped define a new era of independent game development. Beyond his work on games, he’s become one of the mos…

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Games Writing with Lis Moberly, Creative Lead @ 20th Century Games 1:17:11

1M ago1:17:11

1:17:11

Alexa Ray Corriea chats with Lis Moberly, Creative lead at 20th Century Games. Together they discuss how the path towards game development has changed over the years and the difficulties young people face with job placement; working with and helping junior writers join and stay in the games industry; the importance of institutionalized knowledge; a…

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Why Game Studio Failures Are Structure Problems, Not Talent Problems | Chris Casanova (Microsoft, Mojang, Relic, Hypixel) 55:21

1M ago55:21

55:21

Most game studios think they have a talent problem. They don't. They have a structure problem. Chris Casanova spent 15+ years as a producer across Microsoft Xbox, Mojang (Minecraft), Relic Entertainment, Offworld Industries, and Hypixel Studios. He's watched talented teams fail repeatedly—not from lack of skill, but from organizational friction. Tr…

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Lorien Testard, composer (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33). 1:18:08

1M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

Lorien Testard is a French musician and composer. He started his career as a guitar teacher, composing instrumental tracks for imaginary video games in his spare time. He began to upload them to his Soundcloud, and soon had a collection of more than fifty pieces online. His life changed when he shared one of the tracks in an indie game forum. A vid…

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From Used Car Salesman to Indie Game Publisher: The New Blood Story 1:27:41

1M ago1:27:41

1:27:41

Trent Kusters chats with Dave Oshry of New Blood Interactive. Together they discuss how he went from games journalism to publishing; navigating the ins and outs of publishing on PC and how they landed their first deal; how nostalgia meets modern in the boomer shooter genre; their approach to the publisher/developer revenue split; how they uplift in…

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The Battlefield 6 Redemption, What UCLA Football Teaches About Leadership, & Structuring Teams to Win | MAG #7 59:16

1M ago59:16

59:16

Western AAA development is not dead. Battlefield 6's 7 million unit launch proves it. This episode deconstructs how EA and Vince Zampella reversed the "disaster" of Battlefield 2042 by focusing on leadership, community feedback , and a smarter studio structure. Then, we explore why leadership is the ultimate "alpha". Joseph Kim breaks down the stun…

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Chris Plante, writer, editor (Polygon, The Verge, Limetown, Post Games). 1:27:48

29d ago1:27:48

1:27:48

Chris Plante is a journalist, editor, and one of the sharpest voices working in video game media. After studying at New York University, he worked as freelance writer for outlets including The Guardian, Vulture, and Edge before, in 2012, co-founding Polygon, a website blending coverage of pop culture, longform storytelling, and thoughtful games cri…

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How to Pitch Game Projects to Publishers with Focus Entertainment's Yves Le Yaouanq 1:33:29

1M ago1:33:29

1:33:29

Adam Orth chats with Focus Entertainment's Chief Content Officer, Yves Le Yaouanq. Together they discuss his journey and the lessons he's learned working for some of the biggest game developers and publishers in the industry; his work on the research and development side of games; the need for publishers to focus on quality of content and gameplay;…

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Inside the $55B EA-Saudi Deal: Why It's Not a Typical LBO (with Chris Petrovic & Matthew Kanterman) 59:56

2M ago59:56

59:56

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund just closed the largest gaming acquisition in history—$55 billion for Electronic Arts. But this isn't the typical private equity playbook. In this episode, host Joseph Kim sits down with two M&A experts who break down what's really happening:- Chris Petrovic - Board Chairman & CBO at FunPlus, former President o…

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The Ad Monetization Playbook: Fixing Leaky Revenue, Boosting CPMs, and Scaling Your Team with Kelly Kang 1:08:48

2M ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Why is your ad revenue flat even when your game's traffic is growing? Margins are getting squeezed by hidden fees, and old strategies of yelling at partners no longer move the needle. In this episode, we sit down with veteran ad monetization consultant Kelly Kang to get her modern playbook for building a resilient and profitable ad strategy from th…

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Claire L. Evans, musician, writer, artist (YACHT, Blippo+). 1:21:22

1M ago1:21:22

1:21:22

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MAG: Inside EA’s $55B LBO, Lessons from Grow A Garden, and the Intent→Action Gap ("Alien's Eye View") 57:11

2M ago57:11

57:11

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How Ready or Not Creates Tension Behind Every Door 1:39:19

2M ago1:39:19

1:39:19

Trent Kusters chats with Sean Gorman (Lead Designer) and Mark Ranson (Art Director) from Void Interactive, creators of the tactical first-person shooter, Ready or Not. Together they discuss how the studio balances realism, tension, and storytelling without glorifying violence; their "fear every door" design philosophy; lessons learned from AAA deve…

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Unlock 82% of the Global Gaming Market: The Ultimate Localization Guide 1:41:41

2M ago1:41:41

1:41:41

Is your game only available in English? You could be ignoring over 80% of your potential players. In this deep dive, I sit down with Alexander Murauski, CEO of localization agency Alkonost, to unpack the entire game localization playbook from start to finish. We cover the critical strategies, ROI analysis, and common mistakes that can make or break…

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Alexander O. Smith, translator (Vagrant Story, Phoenix Wright, Final Fantasy series). 1:33:58

2M ago1:33:58

1:33:58

Alexander O. Smith is a translator, writer, and creative producer whose work has brought some of Japan’s most acclaimed stories to audiences around the world. After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in classical Japanese Literature, he went on to become one of the most respected voices in literary and video game translation. He is be…

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Can Delta Force Beat PUBG? Is the Take-Two Mafia a Myth & How to Fix Recruiting? | MAG #5 26:52

2M ago26:52

26:52

On this episode of Game Makers, we explore three critical topics: how Delta Force's mobile revenue soared past PUBG's by 75% , why the "Take-Two Mafia" thesis is a myth centered on the wrong company , and a powerful framework for fixing your recruiting process by treating candidates like customers. In this episode, you will learn: MACRO: How Delta …

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Arena Breakout: Infinite Breaks Out to PC!, Destiny: End of Western IP + China Dev, Secrets and Stupid Ideas | MAG #4 51:40

2M ago51:40

51:40

In this episode, we explore the major headwinds facing the games industry, from publisher-developer tensions to the viability of long-standing business models. We start with a raw look at industry layoffs before pivoting to a deep-dive analysis of Arena Breakout Infinite's turbulent PC launch, which reveals a massive culture clash in monetization s…

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Charlie Rosen, bandleader, The 8-bit Big Band. 1:27:51

2M ago1:27:51

1:27:51

Charlie Rosen is a Grammy award-winning musician, composer, and arranger whose work sits at the intersection of jazz, pop, and video game nostalgia. As the founder and leader of The 8-bit Big Band, a 35-piece jazz-pops orchestra, he had transformed classic video game soundtracks into virtuosic symphonic showstoppers. Under his direction, the ensemb…

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MAG Monday #3: India's RMG Ban, Failure of GenAI, Amazon x Netflix Gaming+Streaming Bundle 1:29:21

3M ago1:29:21

1:29:21

Alpha: Clash Royale 5x Revenue, Understanding the Illegible Margin GameDev: The Problem with Product Validation Happy MAG-nificent Monday! 3-Macro: 3 stories impacting the competitive environment in which we operate Hike shuts down after India RMG ban Why GenAI is failing Amazon and Netflix announce Gaming+Streaming bundle 2-Alpha: 2 potential sour…

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Andy Robertson, journalist, entrepreneur (BBC, Ludocene). 1:22:12

2M ago1:22:12

1:22:12

Andy Robertson is a veteran journalist, editor, and entrepreneur who has spent his career exploring how video games can bring people together. After graduating from Brunel University with a degree in Computer Science, he worked as a freelance games critic for the BBC before launching Family Gamer TV, a YouTube channel designed to help parents and c…

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3-2-1 MAG #2: Dreamhaven Layoffs, Silksong Success, GamePass Worth Jack**** | Magic Tiles 3 - Piano Game, Rise of AA | On Decision Making 1:03:49

3M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

3. Macro Top 3 Most Significant Gaming News From Last Week: Dreamhaven Games Hit by Layoffs (GamesIndustry.biz): Dreamhaven, the studio founded by former Blizzard Entertainment co-founder Mike Morhaime, confirmed it has undergone an unspecified number of layoffs. Despite the cuts, the CEO expressed optimism about the studio's future and the project…

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Lizzie Killian, musician (Teens in Trouble). 1:21:12

2M ago1:21:12

1:21:12

Lizzie Killian is the lead vocalist and guitarist of Teens in Trouble, an indie rock band known for its anthemic melodies, sharp lyrics, and emotionally charged hooks. Before taking to the stage, she started her career as a writer covering games, then moved into communications, collaborating with titans of the industry such Capcom, EA, and Riot. In…

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Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, creative director, Hell is Us. 1:20:12

3M ago1:20:12

1:20:12

Jonathan Jacques-Belletête is a French-Canadian creative director and artist whose work has helped shape some of the most stylish and thought-provoking contemporary video games. After graduating from Dawson College in Montreal, he worked as a commercial illustrator before joining Ubisoft as an artist on the Far Cry, Prince of Persia and Assassin’s …

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3. 2. 1. Retro #1: Netease Bails on Western Studios, IGN Restructuring, Ubisoft and King Showcase AI 47:23

3M ago47:23

47:23

Top 3 Gaming News From Last Week: NetEase Shuts Down Another Western Studio (Game Developer): NetEase has closed T-Minus Zero Entertainment. This marks the third Western studio closure as part of a broader reassessment of business priorities and has raised concerns about the stability of Western studios under NetEase's ownership. IGN Publisher John…

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Escape From Tarkov and the Creation of Extraction Shooters with Nikita Buyanov 1:26:09

3M ago1:26:09

1:26:09

Log in to your account at www.escapefromtarkov.com and redeem the code NIKITAONGMNPODCAST to receive a special gift from Battlestate Games. Trent Kusters chats with Nikita Buyanov, the COO, Founder, and Game Director at Battlestate Games, creators of Escape From Tarkov. Together they discuss his journey in games to the founding of Battlestate Games…