Blue Cup Tools Podcast

Beta tester feedback: when to listen and when to stick to your guns. Ben's internet is terrible. We should have beta tested this podcast.

Diversity in games, or at least in GTA. Do designers of old really need to be coming back on Kickstarter? Voice acting in games.

We're joined by special guest Petter Ljunqvist aka Andail to discuss The Samaritan Paradox, game design, puzzles, backgrounds, and most importantly, the gritty reboot of Leisure Suit Larry.

A discussion on backgrounds. We've learned a lot since the last time we talked about them, so we share this wealth of knowledge with you, the listener.

A brief discussion on adventure game design philosophy, including some heavy ranting, then on to the main subject: Music! Working with musicians, creating your own, using AGS in conjunction with it. Also, Grundislav sings a lot.

After a two week hiatus, we return to where it all began and discuss animation! Also, please stay until the very end.

Fresh off the plane home, Grundislav talks all about his GDC experience while fighting off exhaustion.

Cutting stuff from your game and when to know how to do it. We also learn more disturbing facts about our hosts!

The importance of a clean work environment, as well as changing up your surroundings and its effect on your productivity.

After a two week hiatus due to surprise social lives, we return with special guest Vince XII in tow to discuss non-linearity and episodic games. Also, be good kids, or you'll have to do community service!

This week, we drink tea like classy people (although Ben's has a couple of extra unwanted ingredients) and discuss the wonder that is Vegemite. Also, we talk about how practicing things like writing, art, coding, etc in real life can help hone your skills for game design.

We get personal, and bare our souls (and other parts) as we discuss a question sent in by a listener. Writing about personal things in your games, and how much is too much. Is there even "too much?"

Special guest Dane Krams joins us to talk about art! Techniques, developing style, pushing yourself and working outside your comfort zone. Art nerdery ahoy!

This week we talk about puzzle variety: going beyond the usual adventure game tropes of dialogue and inventory puzzles. Also, the usual David Cage bashing and talking about how you shouldn't write characters.

We're joined once again by Dave Gilbert (and briefly by wife Janet) to discuss the benefits of player feedback, beta testing, post-release comments, and how to best provide and accept constructive criticism.

Dave Gilbert joins us for our first podcast of 2014 to discuss game design, writing, as well as what it's like to reach the end of a series. As usual, off topic rants abound.

Ho ho ho! We return from a Christmas break to discuss working with others in teams, and also briefly touch on the idea of the palate-cleansing "game sorbet." Also, way more information than you ever needed to know about our friendship!

Breaking down adventure game stories to the basic archetypes, and the challenges of making games that are not detective mysteries or save the world/girl stories.

We discover just how different we are as gamers, then talk about our entire adventure game creation process. Also, why it's an advantage to be a jack-of-all-trades.

This week we play a special drinking game on the podcast, as well as talk more about the importance of building worlds through background dialogue, documents, etc.