Episodes
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On tap for this week's show is a talk with Washington-based developer Alice Bottino! Alice's gamedev career has taken her to studios like Xbox and Harebrained Schemes, and to the indie space with her current project, the ethereal rhythm game Hyperbeat. We chat about making games out of spite, the similarities between game development and skateboarding, and the importance of a strong aesthetic vibe. Music from bit.umen!
LINKS:
🗣️ Alice's Socials: @Bottinogames (Twitter), @Bottino.games (Bluesky)
🎮 Hyperbeat: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2263360/HYPERBEAT/
💿 Bit.umen: https://bit-umen.bandcamp.com/
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Joining us this week is talented game composer Star Victoria Power, aka Slide20XX ⭐️ They've recently done work on games like Calico and Bloodstained: Dominique's Curse, and were even featured as part of Bandcamp's best soundtrack releases of 2022. Having worked towards making music for games since the age of 13, Star offers a lot of meaningful insight into how to balance pursuing your passions while still being practical. With music from Mistil!
LINKS:
⭐️ Star's socials: @Slide20XX
💿 Mistil: http://mistil.bandcamp.com
📕 The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway
🍕 Pizzeria of the Week: Rocco’s Pizza in Seattle
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Episodes manquant?
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This week on the show we've got the two Brazilian devs that make up Helena Creative Studio-- Gabriel Felipe (Gabs) and Gabriel Vinicius de Souza (GV). Together they've been hard at work on their first game, the upcoming experimental RPG Moth Kubit. It's already made a big impression at the Tokyo Game Show and Latin American Games Showcase, and even been featured in a Nintendo Direct presentation! Listen to their story, plus music from Floor Baba, now 🦋
LINKS:
🎮 Moth Kubit: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2257830/Moth_Kubit/
💿 Floor Baba: https://floorbaba.bandcamp.com/
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Game director Stoyan Stoyanov unmasks his journey and process on this week's Pixel Pizza! We get deep into his problem-solving strategies, talk about his quest design on Cyberpunk 2077, and reflect on the rapidly changing state of the games industry. Music from Siberia Zero!
LINKS:
🌐 Stoyan's Website: https://stoyanovdesign.com/
💿 Siberia Zero: https://siberiazero.bandcamp.com/
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This week we welcome indie developer David Peters to the show! David recently started his career in games with the shoot-em-up Cycle Chaser H-5 and the surreal platformer Somnabuster. Both games are defined by their striking hand drawn art style and arcade like gameplay, both of which we dive deep into on today's show! Featuring music from chiptune artist Mala Society 🎧
LINKS:
🗣️ David's Socials: https://pd-cgt.carrd.co/
💿 Mala Society: https://zingarmusiclab.bandcamp.com/album/8-beat-chipsounds
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Honored this week to speak with 7x academy award nominated sound designer/composer Kenneth C.M. Young! Kenny's recent work on Astro Bot got rave reviews this year, and his previous time at MediaMolecule included LittleBigPlanet and Tearaway. Kenny dives into his upbringing with Scottish & Applachian music, his unique path into becoming a game composer, and making audio feel like its own character. Chiptune music this week from Vyryr!
LINKS:
🌐 Kenny's Website: http://kennyyoung.com
🐦 Kenny's Twitter: @KCMYoung
🤖 Astro Bot OST: https://music.apple.com/ua/album/astro-bot-original-soundtrack/1770364118
💿 Vyryr: https://vyryr.bandcamp.com/
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Today on the program we're chatting with South African sound designer Ulysses at Sea! You might've heard his work in games like Desktop Dungeons: Rewind and Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Ulysses and I talk about creating an ecosystem of sounds, building creature voices, and the unexpected ways sounds can resonate with players. Music from Bartizan Chill~
LINKS:
📺 Ulysses's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ulyssesatsea
🗣️ Ulysses's socials: @Ulyssesatsea
💼 Ulysses's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ulysses-at-sea-611a38135/
💿 Bartizan Chill: https://bartizanchill.bandcamp.com/
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No pizza this week, just lasagna! Xania Lasagna, that is-- our guest known for her work throughout the PlayDate scene. Xania not only makes games for the indie handheld platform, but also publishes Uncrank'd Magazine and produces the YouTube news show Uncrank'd TV. She tells us about finding the best games on the platform both big and small, her character-first game design process, and more. With music from Squaretune Magician!
LINKS:
📕 Uncrank'd: https://linktr.ee/uncrankd
🗣️ XaniaLasagna: https://linktr.ee/xanialasagna -
This week on the show we've got Canadian solo indie dev Devon Wiersma! Devon's best known for the graffiti sandbox Bombing!! games, which were inspired by their own experiences as a street artist. They're also currently working on the procedurally generated mech action game Centauri Dark, so there's a lot to talk about with their varied catalog of work! Tune in for that and chiptune music from Caspro & friends.
LINKS:
☁️ Devon's Bluesky: https://devonwiersma.bsky.social
📝 Devon's Tumblr: https://devsgames.tumblr.com/
📺 Devon's Twitch/YT: SlaughterNeko
🎮 Devon's Games: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45172739
💿 Caspro: https://caspromusic.bandcamp.com/
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On this week's Pixel Pizza we talk with indie game journalist & community manager Jupiter Hadley! As a co-founder of news site Big Boss Battle she covers the most innovative releases and game jams. Plus, as a CM for Toya Play Studio, she works on licensed Roblox experiences for popular IP like Miraculous Ladybug. Jupiter gives us some info on her upcoming book about indie games, talks introducing her own kids to gaming and the internet, and delves into the importance of a community-first approach to indie game development. Music from EKIA!
LINKS:
🐦 Jupiter's Twitter: @Jupiter_Hadley
💿 EKIA: https://ekiaa.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Contact us: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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We've got two incredible guests for you this week! Coming to us from Furniture & Mattress Games are co-founders David Hellman (art director) & Nico Recabarren (game designer). David's best known for his work on the landmark indie game Braid, and Nico made a splash designing acclaimed puzzle game Ethereal. We go over both of their past experiences as well as their time working on their latest project, the puzzle/RPG hybrid Arranger! Music from Reia!
LINKS:
🖌️ David's Twitter: @Davidhellman
🧩 Nico's Twitter: @Cabezotta
🎮 Arranger: https://arranger.quest/
💿 Reia: https://reiaa.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Contact us: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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Shoutout to all the Rhapsodogs this week, because we're talking with Nico Papalia, creator of the hit indie RPG Athenian Rhapsody! Nico shares his stories about playtesting for comedy, staying physically active while making games, expanding his IP, and making his own pizza. This week's music comes to us from _beto!
LINKS:
🎮 Athenian Rhapsody: https://linktr.ee/athenianrhapsody
💿 _beto: https://betodev.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Questions? Comments?: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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Capy Games Director Dan Vader joins us on this week’s show! Over the past 15 years his studio has brought us some incredible original titles, like Grindstone, Super Time Force, Superbrothers: Sword and Sorcery EP, and Below. In our lively and wide-ranging discussion, Dan talks about working on games with very different tones, the collaborative environment at Capy, and how the best ideas come up when you’re getting coffee. Music from Fouinne44!
LINKS:
🐦 Capy Games socials: @Capygames
🎮 Battle Vision Network: https://www.capybaragames.com/games/battle-vision-network/
💿 Fouinne44: https://m.youtube.com/@fouinne44
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Joining us this week on Pixel Pizza is community manager and marketing expert Catherine Litvaitis! Catherine has helped build and foster communities for prominent indie games like Bear and Breakfast, In Stars and Time, and The Tartarus Key. She tells us all about writing social media in-character, what makes a great digital storefront description, and her work on the YouTube cult classic Shrek Retold! All that plus more, and music from Overkissed.
LINKS:
🐦 Catherine's Twitter: @LitvacArt
🐊 Floridale Man: @TheFloridaleMan
💿 OverKissed: https://audiobambino.bandcamp.com/album/cut04-xx
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This week on Pixel Pizza, rock out with narrative designer Idris Grey MacChruteir 🤘 Idris's career has spanned across multiple countries and major studios-- they've worked at Monolith on Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, Guerilla on Horizon: Forbidden West, and are currently in Japan working with Unseen (Ikumi Nakamura's studio) on KEMURI!
Idris breaks down how they design for specific characters, make an open world feel alive, and write a meaningful cover letter. Chiptune music this week also comes to us from Japan via Maak!
LINKS:
🐦 Idris's Twitter: @SirensStrand
🎮 Unseen: @UnseenTokyo
💿 Maak: https://maakmusic.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Contact Us: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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This episode originally aired on October 26, 2022.
Let's look back on a Pixel Pizza favorite in this chat with Trombone Champ developer Dan Vecchito. We talked about using the principles of improv comedy in games, going viral, and the best pizza in Brooklyn! For the full Trombone Champ experience, this episode's musical breaks were all in-game performances from YouTube creators. Find their links below and see you next week with a new show!
LINKS:
🐦Holy Wow Twitter: @HolyWowStudios
🎮Trombone Champ: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1059990/Trombone_Champ/
📀 Tim & Matt Play: https://youtu.be/bf021cCR7tQ
💿 JawGBoi: https://youtu.be/1pYm-_C91wQ
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Join us on this week's Pixel Pizza Podcast as we talk to Capybara Games President Eileen Hollinger! Eileen's had some incredible experiences in the industry, like working at ThatGameCompany and forming her own indie game publisher, Astra Fund. She tells us how she made the jump from educational content to working alongside the devs of Journey, Katamari Damacy, and the latest on her studio's newest game Battle Vision Network! Music from Hydragyrum Beholder!
LINKS:
🐦 Eileen's Twitter: @Eileen_Holli
🌐 Capy Games: @Capygames
🎮 Battle Vision Network: @BVN_Game
💿 Hydragyrum Beholder: https://hydragyrumbeholder.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Contact Us: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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On this installment of the Pixel Pizza Podcast we speak with Unbound Creations CEO Jakub Kasztalski. Jakub and his team have made all sorts of games ranging from political thrillers like Headliner to chaotic cute games like Rain on Your Parade. We talk about using games as a teaching tool, what goes into porting to consoles, and the studio's next game, Just Crow Things. Music from Thefricolix!
LINKS:
🐦 Unbound Creations: @Unboundcreation
🐦⬛ Just Crow Things: https://unboundcreations.com/games/crowy/
💿 Thefricolix: https://thefricolix.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Contact Us: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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Cozy up and stay warm (or cool, if listening to this at time of release) with Benjamin Salvqist, CEO of Pine Creek Games. The studio recently made waves with the showcase of their hand-drawn survival game Winter Burrow, and we get deeper into the inspirations behind its atmosphere, game design, and worldbuilding. Music from KnifeHandChop!
LINKS:
🌲 Pine Creek Games: https://www.pinecreekgames.com/
🎮 Winter Burrow: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008740/Winter_Burrow/
💿 KnifeHandChop: https://knifehandchop.bandcamp.com/
✉️ Email us! pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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In a blast from the past this week, the director of Soundtrec studio and the Video Games Orchestra, Shota Nakama is here on the show! I used to see his concerts all the time when I was living in Boston and hosting Pixel Pizza on the radio about a decade ago. Since then he's expanded into production on high-profile Japanese games including Final Fantasy XV, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die, and Bayonetta 3. Most famously at the moment, Shota has been helming the Sonic Symphony World Tour! Together we reminisce on the early days of VGO, talk about changing up your daily routine, and making deadlines. Plus, chiptune music from Caspro!
LINKS:
🗣️ Shota's Socials: @Shotanakama
🦔 Sonic Symphony: https://www.sonicsymphonytour.com
💿 Caspro: http://caspromusic.bandcamp.com
✉️ Contact us!: pixelpizza at yahoo dot com
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