The Secret Lives of Games
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Candid conversations with game creators that dive deep into the art, craft, and process of making games.
Episodes
- All Systems Brough - VESPER.5
We're joined by Izzy Kestrel (Funomena, No Goblin, A Good Videogame) and Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games) to discuss VESPER.5; a durational, tile-based exploration game. It's the sixth installment in our yearlong special series exploring the w…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 9
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 9 - the Reunion / Reveal! How did The Mole do it? Thanks for listening this season! Join us on the Discord for tips on…
- All Systems Brough - A Chat with Michael
We're joined by Michael Brough himself for a bonus chat on the thrilling occasion of 868-BACK's release day. Don't worry, we don't spoil the new game at all (except to say it's fantastic! Go buy it now on Steam!!) We discuss Michael's jour…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 8
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 8 - the Finale! The Mole is finally unmasked. That's about it for tourist season in Portgual (though big wave season st…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 7
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 7. Who is the Mole, and how does this elimination echo last season's Final Four? Join us on the Discord for tips on how…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 6
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 6. Who is the Mole, and who will play Juliet to Wout's Romeo? Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat abo…
- All Systems Brough - Corrypt
We're joined by Naomi Clark (NYU Game Center, Consentacle, A Game Design Vocabulary ) and Frank Lantz (Q-UP, Universal Paperclips, also NYU Game Center) to discuss Corrypt, a totally normal block-moving game where nothing weird happens. It…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 5
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 5. Who is the Mole, and how will this episode's big twist echo throughout the rest of the season? Join us on the Discor…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 4
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 4. Who is the Mole, and will Doug end up getting the lowest possible score in our Mole guessing game? (this isn't golf,…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 3
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 3. Who is the Mole, and why was Yannis laughing so hysterically at some November rain? Join us on the Discord for tips…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 2
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 2. Who is the Mole, and should they receive an Oscar for their duplicitous performance? Join us on the Discord for tips…
- 156: Filling Buckets with Tonda Ros (Blue Prince)
We chat with Tonda Ros (Dogubomb) one year after the release of his genre-blending room-drafting puzzlebox sensation, Blue Prince. Our discussion covers Tonda's year as the game's representative in the world; his inspirations across digita…
- TSLOG TV Plays De Mol (2026 season) - Episode 1
We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug tango with Episode 1 and share their Mole suspicions. Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat about the episodes, and t…
- All Systems Brough - Zaga-33
We're joined by Chris Plante (Besties, Post Games), Hayden "Docky" Scott-Baron (Planet Coaster), and Rand Hall (voicemailer extraordinaire, Zaga-33 guide writer) for the fourth title in our year of All Systems Brough, a year-long explorati…
- 155: GDC 2026 LIVE Special!
Recorded live from the Game Developers Conference 2026! They gave us time in the Official Podcast Box, so we made the most of it discussing the process of writing for the IGF Awards, reflecting on the culture of GDC, and even having a coup…
- 154: Gathering Community with Ben Rausch and Anja Venter (Playtopia)
Doug and Rob are joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis) and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) chat with Ben Rausch (Team Lazerbeam) and Anja Venter (Free Lives) about the Playtopia Festival for Indie Games & Immersive Arts that they help organize.…
- 153: Returning to the Wasteland with Jan Willem Nijman, Joonas Turner, and Jukio Kallio (Nuclear Throne)
Rob and Zach chat with Joonas Turner (Downwell, Noita, Cult of the Lamb), Jukio Kallio (Fall Guys, Minit, Dave the Diver), and Jan Willem "JW" Nijman (Super Crate Box, Ridiculous Fishing, Minit) about their landmark twin-stick wasteland sh…
- All Systems Brough - Kompendium
We're joined by droqen (The End of Gameplay, Starseed Pilgrim), Liz Ryerson (musician, writer, podcaster), and Harry Lee Shang Lun (Earthrise One) for the third title in our year of All Systems Brough, a year-long exploration of the work o…
- 152: Walking Over It with Gabe Cuzzillo and Bennett Foddy (Baby Steps)
Rob, Doug, Andy, and Sarah chat with Gabe Cuzzillo (Ape Out, Despelote) and Bennett Foddy (Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, QWOP) about their (with Maxi Boch) latest game, the multi-IGF-nominated open-world hard-walking manchild simulat…
- All Systems Brough - Vertex Dispenser
We're joined by droqen (The End of Gameplay, Starseed Pilgrim), Darius Kazemi (Tiny Subversions, Harvard Applied Social Media Lab), and Tara Macalister (mathematician, composer) to discuss Vertex Dispenser, the second game in our year-long…
- All Systems Brough - 868-HACK
We're joined by Shawn Alexander Allen (Beatdown City Survivors), Cole Wehrle (Root), and Drew Wehrle (Pax Pamir) to discuss the first title in our year-long exploration of the work of Michael Brough: 868-HACK. Next Month: Vertex Dispenser…
- 150: Making It Great with Kimmo Lahtinen (Sektori)
Nick is joined by guest co-host Chris Plante (Post Games) for a chat with Kimmo Lahtinen (aka gimbll) about his dynamite new twin-stick shooter, Sektori. They discuss the joy of the genre, pursuing excellence in an oversaturated genre, and…
- Into the Depths: Caves of Qud Finale
We're proud to present the final installment of our over-a-year-long Into the Depths series on Caves of Qud , as well as our last episode with our recently retired Eggplant branding. Caves of Qud is a massive open-world roguelike RPG that…
- All Systems Brough - Introduction
We're joined by Frank Lantz (Q-UP) and Mare Sheppard + Raigan Burns of Metanet (N++) for the first episode of All Systems Brough, a year-long exploration of the work of Michael Brough. We share our thoughts on why Michael's oeuvre demands…
- 149: Making A Meal Of It with Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson (Consume Me)
Rob, Sarah, and Doug chat with Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson about Consume Me, an award-winning autobiographical resource-management RPG about the pressure cooker of young adulthood. We discuss the game's ten-year development cycle, balan…
- 148: Carving Out Some Time with Adam Robinson-Yu (Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival)
Laura, Rob, and Sarah chat with Adam Robinson-Yu about The Annual Ghost Town Pumpkin Festival, a communal and virtual festival experience hosted every ~October for the last six years. We discuss the logistics of running a seasonal multipla…
- 147: Digging Deep with The Roottrees are Dead
Laura chats with Jeremy Johnston and Robin Ward about The Roottrees are Dead, their genealogy, murder-mystery, "static deduction" game. We discuss the development process of taking a jam prototype to full release, developing hints and syst…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Epilogue: Final developer interview
We're joined by (most of) the developers of UFO 50 - Derek Yu, Jon Perry, Eirik Suhrke, Tyriq Plummer, and Paul Hubans - to close out our series with a project-spanning discussion of their development process, how they're feeling a year ou…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Finale Eggstravaganza - LIVE!
Full audio from our epic live series finale, packed with previous series guests, tarot readings, mad libs, touching listener letters, and so much more. Come laugh and cry with us, say goodbye to UFO 50, and hear what's next for Eggplant! N…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - [REDACTED]
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Steve Gillham (OzymandiasAV) to discuss [REDACTED] hidden within the UFO 50 collection. Massive spoilers ahead! Next week: Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games Pres…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Cyber Owls
We're joined by Izzy Kestrel (Gexfeld, A Good Videogame), Shawn Alexander Allen (Treachery in Beatdown City), and the one and only Rand Hall (UFO 50 Voicemailer Extraordinaire) to discuss Cyber Owls, the 50th and final* game in the UFO 50…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Campanella 3
We're joined by Liz Ryerson (musician, writer, podcaster), Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything), and Steve Gillham (OzymandiasAV) to discuss Campanella 3, the 49th game in the UFO 50 collection. "It's time for Pilot to return to what he do…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Seaside Drive
We're joined by Daniel Mullins (Inscryption), Tonda Ros (Blue Prince), and Glove (UFO 50 Historian/ska podcaster) to discuss Seaside Drive, the 48th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Nothing's more relaxing than a nice long drive by the sea.…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Quibble Race
We're joined by Scott Anderson (Unity), Jackie Vecchitto (Trombone Champ), and Xalavier Nelson (Strange Scaffold) to discuss Quibble Race, the 47th game in the UFO 50 collection. "In the seedy world of Quibble racing, sometimes it takes sh…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Combatants
We're joined by Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) to discuss Combatants, the 46th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The evil Red Ants have taken your land! Fight Back and defend your que…
- Eggplant TV Plays De Mol (2025 season) - Interview with Wouter Verstichel
We're recapping the 2025 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 13). In this very special bonus episode, Laura, Jey, Doug, and Melissa sit down with Wouter Verstichel (Director/Showrunner of De Mol) to discuss the experienc…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Mini & Max
We're joined by Billy Basso (Animal Well), Ben Wilson (Saltsea Chronicles), Kayin (I Wanna Be The Guy), and Adam Conover (Adam Ruins Everything) to discuss Mini & Max, the 45th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Mini and her dog Max are locke…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Pilot Quest
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Eileen Hollinger (Capybara Games) to discuss Pilot Quest, the 44th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The Campanella has crashed! Fix it by harvesting resources and e…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Elfazar's Hat
We're joined by Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Colin and Sarah Northway (Northway Games) to discuss Elfazar's Hat, the 43rd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Elfazar is hailed as a great magician, but hi…
- Into the Depths: Caves of Qud (Sidequests Special)
In this bonus installment of our current Into the Depths series, we continue diving into Caves of Qud. This sprawling open-world roguelike has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015. Doug and Rob - joined by special gue…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Lords of Diskonia
We're joined by Trent Kusters (League of Geeks), John Axon (Capybara Games), and Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok) to discuss Lords of Diskonia, the 41st game in the UFO 50 collection. "War has come to Land of Disks, and the red and blue a…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Grimstone
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) to discuss Grimstone, the 40th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Praise Biggan, the four of you survived the saloon fire. But somethi…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Star Waspir
We're joined by Jay Ma (Into the Breach), Steve Gillham (OzymandiasAV), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Zatoichi (Juggler/UFO 50 Enthusiast) to discuss Star Waspir, the 39th game in the UFO 50 collection. "You are an elite member of…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Rakshasa
We're joined by Tonda Ros (Blue Prince) and doseone (Enter the Gungeon) to discuss Rakshasa, the 38th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Even death won't stop Jangi from avenging the destruction of his village by demons!" Next week: Star Wasp…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Valbrace
We're joined by Scott Anderson (Unity), Carolyn Petit (Kotaku), Xanagear ( youtube.com/xanagear ), and Glove (UFO 50 Historian/ska podcaster) to discuss Valbrace, the 37th game in the UFO 50 collection. "No knight has ever survived the jou…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Hyper Contender
We're joined by Scott Anderson (Unity), Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), and Alex Jaffe (Riot Games) to discuss Hyper Contender, the 36th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The daring, desperate, and indebted fight for money in the pits of Phogo…
- 146: Ascending the Ranks with Jeff Dubbin (Competitive Lost Cities)
Rob, Nick, Doug, and Andy chat with Jeff Dubbin, a lawyer and (at the time of recording and publication) Board Game Arena's top-ranked international player of Reiner Knizia's Lost Cities. Lost Cities is a two-player card game about staking…
- EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Campanella 2
We're joined by Liz Ryerson (musician, writer, podcaster), Russ Frushtick (The Besties), and Xanagear (youtube.com/xanagear) to discuss Campanella 2, the 35th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Pilot's gone missing on a giant space station an…