About Game Dev

In this episode of About Game Dev, I sit down with game designer, programmer, and Finji studio director Adam Saltsman to explore his career and experiences making games.

We discuss the thoughtfulness behind game design, how countless small decisions shape the player's experience, and the importance of curiosity, experimentation, and learning new skills.

We also dive into the challenges of running a studio, the evolution of his approach to design, and some of the creative and technical decisions behind his latest game, Usual June.

🔗 Check Out Usual June: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2702430/Usual_June/
🔗 Corgi-Space: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4044300/CorgiSpace/
🔗 Adam's Website: https://adamatomic.com/

In this episode, I chat to Lynds Gallant - a freelance design and art director with experience in both indie and AAA about the importance of understanding both the artistic and technical aspects of game design, and how a solid foundation in art can enhance collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

From her experiences in both styles of studios, Lynds offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to be an art director today and how the role differs depending on your team.

Oh, and we also have a repeat number of minor existential crisis's throughout the conversation... just an average weekday I guess. 😂

John Tearle co-founded Flix Interactive - originally a team of independent developers and now one of the biggest co-development studios in the UK. Flix have become a powerhouse for assisting studios build large open-worlds and have worked on games like Sea Of Thieves, Mafia: The Old Country and Crackdown 3.

So, in this episode of About Game Dev we explore the process of how John has grown Flix as a studio, the ups and downs of working on multiple projects, the difficulties sustaining a studio of its scale, and why co-development plays such an important role in the industry as whole.

🔗 Checkout Flix's Work - http://www.flixinteractive.com

In this episode of About Game Dev, I sit down with Code Monkey — one of the most well-known Unity educators on YouTube.

Hugo has helped countless developers learn Unity through his extensive library of tutorials and courses, but he's also spent years making and releasing his own commercial games on Steam.

As two developers who spend a lot of time teaching online, we discuss the trade-offs between spending months working on a game versus consistently producing content, the realities of making a living independently, and how to set realistic goals when trying to build a sustainable career in games.

▶️ Check out Game Dev Practice Lab - https://gamedevpracticelab.circle.so/gamedevpracticelab
▶️🚕 Wishlist Cabs Of Chaos - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923770/Cabs_Of_Chaos/
▶️ Become A Patron - http://www.patreon.com/GameDevGuide

In this first BANGER of an episode, I sit down with Luke Muscat (designer of Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride) to talk about his journey through the games industry. We discuss his time at Halfbrick Studios, where he helped create two of mobile gaming's biggest hits, his first startup that was eventually acquired by Snapchat, and his transition to becoming an independent developer and YouTuber.

We also dive into the development of his latest title, Normal Golf Game, along with lessons learned throughout his career, game design philosophy, tooling, and what it really takes to build successful games.