The Indie Diarist

Trying to market your games for a Korean audience? Or are you simply curious about the Korean gaming market? In this episode, I spent some time with George Jeong from Korea-based game management platform Minimap, to discuss the Big Three Ns and a lot of other incredibly interesting topics on gaming in the region – including the rise of new and talented indie studios! 🎒💛

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Find George / Minimap online:

- Minimap website: https://minimap.net/

- Minimap Discord: https://discord.com/invite/cbNQMya8sG

In this second episode of the mini-series in collaboration with Indieverse, I spent some time with writer, game dev, trailer editor (and more) Lilliana Kendra, an amazing and restless member of the indie game dev community with a passion for... having countless passions! As a tireless multipotential myself, I could really relate with her struggles. We discussed anything from the wonders of time management to being a queer developer in a still much old-fashioned industry. Enjoy!

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Find Lilliana online:

- https://twitter.com/lillianakendra

- https://www.twitch.tv/lillianakendra

- https://www.youtube.com/@lillianakendratrailers (Trailers channel)

- https://www.youtube.com/@lillikendra (Gaming channel)

- https://lilliana-kendra.itch.io/

In this first episode of a mini-series in collaboration with Indieverse, I spent some time with Falinere, a game dev / content creator who's developing interactive RPGs in a very specific niche: live-streaming chat games. We discussed the beauty of finding your own path, among other things. Enjoy!

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Find Falinere online:

- https://www.falinere.com/

- https://www.youtube.com/falinere

- https://www.twitch.tv/falinere

- https://twitter.com/Falinere

- https://discord.com/invite/6y9UJJ3

- https://ko-fi.com/falinere

It's International Women's Day week, and for this bonus Footnote, I wanted to get together with a very special guest from the indie game development community: Charmaine Duff, founder of Women-Led Games!

In this episode, Char and I discussed the core challenges to diversity and inclusion in the industry, explored the ways in which we can all do better, and fortunately, named a few female developers!

Hope you enjoy!

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NOTE: The name of the episode is inspired by (and a tribute to) a splendid Kotaku article by Senior Editor Alyssa Mercante, written shortly after PC Gamer's 30th anniversary controversy. You can read the full article here: https://kotaku.com/pc-gamer-30th-anniversary-women-games-1851021562

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Find Women-Led Games online:

- Website: https://www.womenledgames.com/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/womenledgames

- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/ffGubbcPVd

- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/womenledgames

In this episode, I spent some time with Tanja Lind Tankred, co-founder of Other Tales Interactive and currently working on a beautiful narrative-led game anthology called Miniatures! Tanja tuned in all the way from Denmark, and together we discussed anything from the value of creativity to the power of meaningful game experiences. Enjoy!

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Find Other Tales Interactive online:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OtherTales
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/othertales/
• Discord: https://discord.com/invite/othertales

In this second episode in collaboration with Women-led Games, I spent some time with Andrea Saravia Pérez, a narrative designer from Colombia, to talk about her AAA experience and the struggles of developers from underrepresented backgrounds who reach for success in the industry. Enjoy!

––––––––– Find Andrea online: - Twitter: https://x.com/asaraviapt - Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/asaraviapt/commissions - Itch: https://asaravia.itch.io/

In this episode, I'm proud to kick off a mini-series in collaboration with Women-Led Games! Over the next month or so, I will feature some female developers from the WLG community – with the ambition to host even more in the future. The first one in the series is German narrative designer Kay Anderson, a former aspiring biologist turned game dev, who brings her empathy and passion for stories in everything she does. Enjoy!

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Kay's email: kayandersonms@gmail.com

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Learn about Women-Led Games:

https://www.womenledgames.com/

In this episode, I spent some time with Polygon Treehouse co-founder Alex Kanaris-Sotiriu, an ex-Sony developer turned creative director of his own Scotland-based studio. Alex has discovered a lot about the joy of "finding your own balance" in life, and this episode explores these themes and more. Enjoy!

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- Wishlist Mythwrecked: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2000210/Mythwrecked_Ambrosia_Island/

- Alex's Twitter: https://x.com/kanaratron

- Polygon Treehouse Twitter: https://x.com/polytreehouse

New year, new Indie Diary – with a new podcast theme made by video game and film composer Yuri Gore! 🎒💛

In this very special episode, I spent some time with Rob Madden, creative director of Hyperluminal Games and the mind behind the beautiful upcoming puzzle-adventure Pine Hearts. Rob has an incredibly personal connection to his game, and I feel incredibly grateful to him for having wanted to share his story with me.

Plus, The Indie Diarist's new and shiny YouTube channel is now live! That's where you can find all the past, present and future episodes of the show – plus some extra content coming soon. Give it a follow here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheIndieDiarist/

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Find Rob online:

- Wishlist Pine Hearts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1781010/Pine_Hearts/

- Little Nook Twitter: https://twitter.com/LittleNookGames

- Little Nook Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlenookpublishing/

Many indie developers "fall" into game dev, but for Ant Workshop's Tony Gowland, it was more a case of falling "out" of triple-A development.

In this 30th Indie Diary and last episode of 2023, I spent some time with a former Rockstar veteran turned indie, to discuss the value of familiar experiences, laughter, and creativity under constraints. What a beautiful way to end the first year of the show!

Hope you enjoy! 🎒💛

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Buy Dungeon Golf:

- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144040/Dungeon_Golf/

Find Tony and his team online:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntWorkshop

- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonygowland.bsky.social

- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/P6NFbuf

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Rbt-MNHfYJt008xdlse4Q

Remember the good old days when playing games wasn't a game dev exercise? 👀 In this episode, I spent some time with Tom Curtis, a US-based developer who's been thinking about games differently since he was 11. Tom has recently delisted his HopDodge to make it the best version of itself it can be. Get ready for a journey, folks – this one feels very intimate! Hope you enjoy!

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Find Tom online:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopDodge

- Website: https://blankgamesonline.com/

- HopDodge (Steam): https://steamcommunity.com/app/1965680/workshop/

Jan Mysior is developing co-op games so he can play them with his wife and kids – and I think that's beautiful. In this episode, I spent some time with the co-owner of Yellow Dot Games, tuning in all the way from Poland to tell me about his story – and why he loves co-op games so much. Hope you enjoy!

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Find Jan and his studio online:

- Website: https://www.yellowdotgames.com/

- Studio Discord: https://discord.gg/Y7yAD9K4vY

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/YellowDot_Games

- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/yellow_dot_games

In this episode, I spent some time with one of the show's closest supporters, Peleg Harel – a solo developer from Israel who's making a beautiful little puzzle game called Exodus. Peleg is such an amazing member of The Indie Diarist community, looking to create meaningful games and experiences for his players – with a wonderful puzzle game to match. Enjoy!

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Support Peleg:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExodusPgame

- Wishlist/try Exodus: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2293540/Exodus/

How do you even start with marketing your indie game? What is the best approach to game marketing, and how do you find your audience? In this special episode extracted from a Discord-only event, I connected with three amazing professionals in the indie game marketing scene to help answer burning questions from the community! I hope you guys find it useful 🎒💛

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Connect with my guests! 👇

Alex:

Personal TW: https://twitter.com/alexdharding

TW: https://twitter.com/TheIndiEXP

Website: https://theindiexp.com/

Jacky:

TW: https://twitter.com/TheJackyMartin

Website: https://www.gentleland.net/

Maren:

TW: https://twitter.com/ManekiSocial

Website: https://www.maneki.social/

As someone who left his home country at 21, I can really empathise with stories of siblings living apart. That's why in this episode I spent some time with two brothers from the Bromantic Games bunch, Daniel and Simen, who are developing an amazing settlement builder called Folklands – and who are keeping close to each other thanks to their work as game devs. 🎒💛

Enjoy!

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Find Bromantic Games online:

- Wishlist Folklands: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2282890/Folklands/

- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/folklandsgame

What do you remember of the Flash era? In this episode, I spent some time with UK-based solo dev Chaz, an incredibly passionate developer who learned to code all the way back in the age of Newground and Miniclip. We also had the chance to discuss our shared love for Final Fantasy VII. Enjoy!

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Find Chaz online:

- Website: https://madebychaz.com

- Try out Soulvester VS Lil' Beezey: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2368510/Soulvester_VS_Lil_Beezey/

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Support the show!

Website: https://theindiediarist.com

Patreon: https://patreon.com/theindiediarist

Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/theindiediarist

Who would have thought architecture and game design had so much in common? In this episode I spent some time with Eric Manahan, game designer and founder of The Matte Black Studio, who's currently working on his dearly beloved "Celest-oidvania" LUCID. A former architect with a burning love for games, Eric made the jump to game dev just a few years ago – but he's been harbouring this passion for way longer. Enjoy! ----- Support LUCID: https://lucidkickstarter.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/matteblackstudio Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/_theMatteBlack Lucid Discord: https://discord.com/invite/PQYTsAZQZu

In this episode, I spent some time with Joe Sullivan, a former freelance contractor who made the move to independent game development with his upcoming game – FloraMancer: Seeds & Spells. From the role of imagination in game dev to his vision for his game, Joe and I had such a lovely chat together! Enjoy!

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Find Joe online:

- Wishlist FloraMancer: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2259300/FloraMancer__Seeds_and_Spells/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sullygamedev

- Threads: https://threads.net/@floramancergame

In this episode I spent some time with OKJOY Studio, a developer/publisher tuning in all the way from Hong Kong, to chat about their games and what it means to both create and publish titles within the same team. Enjoy this slightly-shorter-than-usual episode and make sure to support the OKJOY team, so they can keep... bringing joy to people all over the world! :)

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Find OKJOY Studio:

- Check out their games: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/OKJOY

- Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/okjoy_studio

- Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/okjoy.studio

Is the Steam Next Fest worth it for an indie dev? What is it like to make a game that many people can play together? In this episode I spent some time with Sakura and Jan, co-founders of small indie studio RainLight and developers of Tricky Tracks – a hide-and-seek game with a twist!

Sakura and Jan were just "recovering" from the Steam Next Fest when we recorded this episode – give it a listen for a lot of tips on the event!

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Find RainLight online:

- Try Tricky Tracks: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2122000/Tricky_Tracks__Early_Access/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tricky_tracks

- Tricky Tracks' Discord: https://discord.com/invite/EurYgCAYj4

As far as wholesome games go, Lente's "Spilled" is a great example of what happens when love for nature meets game development. In this episode, I spent some time with a talented indie dev living on a boat in the Netherlands, who's channelling her passion for the environment in her upcoming water-cleansing and oil-removing game. Enjoy!

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Find Lente online:

- Wishlist Spilled: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2240080/Spilled/

- Website: https://lente.me

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lentegamedev

Product manager by day, indie game dev by night – Kevin Wu lives a double life, and his game dev work oozes with passion and creative love. In this episode, I spent some time with Kevin, solo developer and founder of Little Bear Studios, who just launched his turn-based RPG Magic & Machines on Steam at the end of June. From his experience developing his game to secret insights into his dream game, this episode is heartwarming and fun in equal measure.

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Find Kevin online:

- Get Magic & Machines: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2341800/Magic_and_Machines/

- Kevin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/lilbearstudios

- Kevin's website: https://www.littlebear.studio/

How is it like to work with someone else's IP? In this episode, I spent some time with Kenneth ("Kenny") Engelsen, game director at Rain Games – a passionate Norwegian studio currently working on the video game adaptation of graphic novel Girl Genius. From the story of Rain Games itself to Kenny's current work at the studio, there's much to look forward to in this episode!

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Find Rain Games online:

- Kenny's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RainGames_Kenny

- Studio's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rain_games

- Website: https://rain-games.com/

- Get Teslagrad 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1698220/Teslagrad_2/

- Try Girl Genius: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1789370/Girl_Genius_Adventures_In_Castle_Heterodyne/

I spent some time with Out of the Bit, an indie studio based in Wimbledon (UK) for the very first LIVE recorded episode of the show! I was hosted by Ali Motisi, Rosalia Trupiano and Leo Halwart, for a fun hour chatting about their pixel art adventure game Full Void, vintage games, and what it means to chase your dreams and take risks for what you really love to do.

By the time this episode goes live, Full Void will also be ready to hit Steam in the same week – so hit that Wishlist / Buy button and support this lovely multicultural bunch of devs!

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Find Out of the Bit online:

Buy Full Void: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1859580/Full_Void/

Follow the team's Twitter: https://twitter.com/outofthebit

OotB Website: https://www.outofthebit.com/

Are you into cats and action RPGs? In this episode, I spent some time with the co-founders and directors of Astral Clocktower Studios, a mid-sized indie studio currently developing Kristala – a game of cats and magic. Together with Allie, Tiffany and Sarah, we touched upon many important topics, such as finding your way as an indie studio and what it means to be a women-led company. Unfortunately, the answer is precisely what you're thinking about.

Make sure to support the team with the links below!

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Support Kristala:

Back the Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kristala/kristala-dark-fantasy-arpg-for-pc-console

Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1206410/Kristala/

Find the team online:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACS_Games

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acs_games/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kristalagame

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ACS_Games

Website: https://astralclocktowerstudios.com

This episode was SO MUCH FUN to make! I spent some time with Steve Hollis, founder of Noisy Head Games, to learn more about his story and the development of Beyond The Long Night – a delightful roguelike published by Yogscast Games. What started off as an episode to learn more on Steve's game quickly became a chat about creativity, the beauty of roguelikes, and – like most conversations I have lately – the absolute masterpiece that is Outer Wilds. Also, the second longest episode of the podcast yet! Hope you enjoy :)

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Find Steve online:

- Buy Beyond the Long Night: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1730080/Beyond_the_Long_Night/

- Steve's Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoisyHeadGames

- "Very Badly Updated" Website: https://noisyheadgames.com/

In this episode, I had an amazing chat with a fellow compatriot from my country of birth: Ramon Bocca, a studio producer from Turin, Italy! Ramon and his team are working on a beautiful series of lovecraftian, story-driven games called Omen Exitio, and they're currently finalising their work on their first sequel - 1927. As you can imagine, it will feel very much noir indeed. :)

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Find Ramon and Tiny Bull Studios online:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TinyBullStudios

- Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/tinybullstdios

- Wishlist Omen Exitio: 1927: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466520/Omen_Exitio_1927/

In this episode I chatted with US-based solo dev Erik Andersen, a fellow language geek who's now working on "So to Speak" – a game about the Japanese language. If you played and loved Heaven's Vault, you're going to love this one: the references were many, and Erik's passions led to a much relaxed conversation about the beauty of game development, how to learn to take risks, and more incredibly interesting topics.

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Support Erik:

- Wishlist So to Speak (Demo available): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1779030/So_to_Speak/

- Erik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/elander99

- Game's Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoToSpeakGame

Ever wondered what a mix of Dungeons & Dragons and poker (yes, the card game) would look like? Wonder no further, for this episode's guest is Enrique Dryere, co-founder of Triple B Titles and developer of Aces and Adventures! From the secrets of creative inspiration to MMOs and fantasy RPG games, we had a great deal of fun in this episode.

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• Buy Aces & Adventures: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1815570/Aces__Adventures/
• Follow Triple B Titles: https://twitter.com/triple_b_titles