Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games
Candid conversations with game creators that dive deep into the art, craft, and process of making games.
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 93 minutes
- Episodes
- 245
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
56: Sourcing Locally with Ngoc Vu (Necrobarista)
Show no…
Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 4
In the fourth installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we wade into the deepest secrets and SPOILERS of the game, covering the entire "chain" path and far beyond, giving our impressions, t…
55: Maximizing Minimalism with Disc Room
The ENTIRE all-star Disc Room team - Kitty Calis, JW Nijman, Doseone, and Terri Vellmann - stop by for a rowdy disc-ussion on their new arcade sci-fi avoid-em-up. We chat about making the Margherita …
Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 3
In the third installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we continue the discussion on its unique difficult curve, debate the latest changes to the game, and talk through the design of worlds…
54: Trusting Your Gut with Tj Hughes (Nour: Play With Your Food)
Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 2
In the second installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we discuss the game's radical approach to difficulty, break down and contrast the second worlds of the game, and compare results on t…
53: Keeping it Short with Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike)
Show notes:
Into the Depths: Spelunky 2 - Part 1
In the first installment of our deep-dive Spelunky 2 miniseries, we have a - spoiler-free! - discussion of the first world of the game, design changes big and small and their implications, and what t…
52: Barking Up the Right Tree with Lucy Morris (Best Friend Forever)
Lucy Morris (Starcolt) joins us to talk about her recently-released dating/pet care sim Best Friend Forever! We discuss running a studio in a small community, building three dimensional characters, a…
51: Good Sudoku with Zach Gage
We kick off a new era with a fully rebranded show! After navel-gazing about the changes, we talk to our own Zach Gage about making a Sudoku game that loves you.
Show notes:
50: Spelunky 2 with Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke
We close out this chapter of the podcast with some (spoiler-free!) impressions of the near-final Spelunky 2, with creators Derek Yu and Eirik Suhrke to guide us through their design process and answe…
49: Fun with Hexes with Ricky Haggett, Jonathan Whiting, and Tim Schafer (Loot Rascals)
48: Making It Personal with Shawn Alexander Allen (Treachery in Beatdown City)
Shawn Alexander Allen joins us to talk about his tactical brawler, Treachery in Beatdown City. We discuss the roots and inspirations of this innovative mash-up, the action economy that makes it tick,…
47: Indie Dev as Engine Building with Theresa Duringer
Theresa Duringer (Temple Gates Games) joins us to discuss the process of bringing board games to digital platforms. We discuss tutorial and UI challenges, machine learning for AI, and how to find you…
46: Reconsidering Civilization with Soren Johnson (Old World)
Soren Johnson (Offworld Trading Company) joins us to discuss his new historical strategy game Old World, as we dive into playing by feel in a numbers-driven game, the problematic themes inherent to t…
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 5
In the final installment of our Noita miniseries, Nolla Games' Petri Purho and Olli Harjola join us for a deep dive Q&A on the game! We discuss the influence of magic on its design, its origins and e…
45: Andy's Sprawling Birthday Spectacular
It's Andy's big 5-0 and we're celebrating by diving into our mailbag of thoughtful listener questions! We discuss working within a team, how academic practice intersects development, framing your wor…
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 4
In the fourth installment of our Noita miniseries, we discuss the intention of randomness, getting stuck in our play patterns, leaning into the game's weirdness, and some modifications we'd like to s…
44: Quarantine Arcade with Derek Yu
Spelunky creator Derek Yu returns for an expansive discussion on the membrane between players/devs, the connection between design/process, and the understated influence of arcade games on his work - …
Into the Depths: Noita - Part 3
In the third installment of our miniseries, we discuss Noita's worldbuilding, secrets in game culture, games as toys, tutorialization (or lack thereof), and the conflicts of wandcrafting. Some thing…