Trying to stand out as an indie game developer can sometimes be as daunting as flying without wings. Sometimes though, all it takes is a bird's eye view is to get the perspective you need to differentiate yourself and get noticed.  In today's episode, we're going to explore how one studio soars above the rest, crafting wildly memorable games centered around animals doing human things. From disccusing diverse portfolios with absurd themes to maintaining an audience, we'll discover how passion...

If there is one thing a developer and teams strive for, it's to maintain quality while consistently hitting milestones. But sometimes it's a struggle finding that sweet spot where quality and efficiency align.  In today's epsiode, we're digging into the intricacies of optimizing production, from uncovering expert strategies for efficient solutions to streamlining the development process, so you're better equiped to acehive that fine balance between speed and quality, supercharging your game...

Acheiving commercial success from an initial release is always a challenge for small indie studios, but developing lasting sustainability in a constantly changing landscape is an entirely different feat. So today, we're going to explore strategies that promote sustainability by identifying key elements that can contribute to sustainability and how to strike a balance between creativity and commercial viability, so we can discover fulfilling ways that help us reach sustainability. Episode...

Within the game industry, underrepresented voices face formidable obstacles, hindering their progress and potential. Amidst these challenges, fostering empathy and embracing diversified approaches offer transformative solutions. Explore the power of mentorship, the impact of empathy, and the role of diversity in shaping a vibrant, inclusive gaming community. Episode Shownotes Link:    

In any game studio, managing the day-to-day and long term operations efficiently can be a challenge. And finding a balance that promotes flow and sustainability sometimes may feel out of reach. Today, we're going to discuss everything from techniques that cover the day-to-day tasks to overarching visions and goals, and how to strike that balance so your studio can be a fine-tuned optimized machine.   Episode Shownotes Link:

In any narrative-driven game, finding the delicate balance between a captivating story and engaging gameplay is essential. If either element falls short, players may struggle to connect with the game on a meaningful level, potentially providing an unfulfilling experience.  Today, we’re going to understand the complexities of narrative design, ways to incorporate storytelling in more impactful ways that further engage players, all while learning how to create experiences that truly connect...

Many game studio leaders aspire to build better companies, but navigating the complexities of vision, focus, and adaptability can pose significant challenges.  In this episode, we explore practical strategies for overcoming these hurdles and achieving clarity and growth in a competitive landscape.  From maintaining focus amidst competing priorities to mitigating potential problems, we’re going to be sharing actionable insights aimed at empowering developers and studio leaders to build...

A bit off the cuff, but got some great updates, news and a fun little challenge as a means to appreciate...you!  Want your free market analysis report? Then visit  

In the current indie game landscape, studios and developers often grapple with limited resources, and are always looking for ways they can stand out. But standing out isn’t always associated with creating awareness.    Today, we’re going to explore what it takes to really jump start your business, from how to acquire valuable resources to avoiding costly pitfalls, so you don’t just know how to survive, but can thrive in a competitive landscape.   Ep 340 Shownotes:

Game studios heavily rely on video content to raise awareness about their games. However, there’s a good chance that most game creators are not tapping their full potential in this medium, limiting the extent of their game’s visibility or other goals.   In this episode, we'll delve into how other video content beyond gameplay clips and trailers can be an integral part of a game’s marketing strategy, maximizing its potential for creating awareness, player engagement and results. Ep 339 Shownotes:

Now, depending on your goals and resources, sometimes your best bet is getting a publisher.  And after initial talks, once you receive an offer it can be really exciting. However, there can be a lot of unknowns, especially when it comes to fully understanding how certain agreements can dictate your future.  That's why today we’re revisiting our conversation with Tim Bender of Hooded Horse Games to know what to look out for and how to approach negotiations so you can be prepared and get the...

In the realm of PR in games, navigating remote collaboration for tasks like trailer production can present a labyrinth of challenges. Maintaining creative cohesion and project vision with a remote team can be a daunting puzzle to solve, but it doesn’t have to be. Today we’ll explore how one PR video lead tackles their team’s remote collaboration challenges by discussing adaptive strategies for creative flow and how they find balance between autonomy and collaboration, offering real-world...

When people think about serving a particular audience or niche, it can be easy to focus only on the market demand and opportunities it may present. However not properly executing on that demand may result in obstacles that can make it a challenge to achieve sustainability.  Today, we’re going to view a different perspective of what it means to niche down and how to serve an audience in a sustainable way, and believe it or not, it doesn’t start with knowing your audience.  Ep 336 Shownotes:    

With the year ending, we’ll be getting a little retrospective and reflecting on the past, however before that happens, we have some important updates and an announcement we’d like to share with our listeners.  Ep 335 Shownotes:

With any emerging global market, the transition always starts with hurdles and challenges. In a lot of cases, it can be even more frustrating for indie developers and studios. Fortunately, these can be overcome with determination and creativity.  Today we’re going to explore indie games from Southeast Asia that are breaking barriers and standing out in the global market and how they’re using creative solutions and leveraging new found market recognition to make an impact on the industry, and...

Using TikTok to help create additional awareness for your game or studio isn’t anything new, but creating a sustainable growth strategy on this platform may be, and can definitely be a challenge. While that may be so, it doesn’t have to overwhelm you and can be fairly simple too.  Our conversation today discusses some valuable insights about how one studio effectively executes their TikTok strategy using processes that promote flow, community growth and results, all while accommodating a part...

Adapting to any kind of trend can be very challenging and sometimes impossible. But sometimes, having the right mindset, information and creative approach can go a long way in finding all sorts of opportunities in the constantly shifting games market. In today’s discussion, we’re going to explore a few current game market trends and topics and dig as deep as we can to reveal a ton of opportunities and how indie studios and developers can capitalize on them. Ep 332 Shownotes:  

Whenever we consider collaborating with influencers, usually top of mind is the bottom line. In other words, what kind of awareness and results can they get. More often than not though, this “transactional” way of thinking doesn’t lead to collaborations that deliver the results we’re looking for.  In todays episode, we explore exactly what makes an effective collaboration, discussing everything from mindset, creative freedom and how to avoid costly decisions while building mutually beneficial...

Managing any game community entails a lot of work and focus, but managing a team of managers across multiple communities, each one vastly different from each other can be outright overwhelming, especially when thinking about how to be strategic and hit certain goals. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be.  In today’s discussion, we approach how to be strategic across multiple communities from a simple perspective, that not only caters to each community, but how that helps carry out...

Starting an indie game studio can be difficult but growing a sustainable one can be a challenging experience faced with a variety of unknown obstacles where every decision can impact your growth.  Today, we’re going to explore the indie side of business development by breaking things down into simple concepts that can make all the difference in how you establish relationship, discover opportunities, and even avoid some potential hazards along the way, keeping you on a path to mastering your...

Creating a brand is one of those things that we sometimes don’t put much stake in, and understandably so. Logos and sleek websites are nice to have, but they don’t necessarily contribute to goals and objectives…or do they? Well, today we’re going to dive deep into that concept and others, discovering how building a strong brand foundation doesn’t only provide clarity for your studio, but how it can influence your culture, attract the right audiences and partners, and whole lot of other things...

When it comes to creating horror games, it can become quite a challenge to effectively deliver scares while keeping players fully immersed in the experience  In this special Halloween episode we dive into the horror genre, comparing effective (and not effective) ways both games and films have leveraged scares, pacing and a whole lot of other areas, unearthing and resurrecting creative ways to make horror games more immersive and frightening, while even sharing how some of these concepts can...

If there’s one thing indie studios and developers are always looking to do, it’s to increase the odds of their game’s success. However, trying to pinpoint exactly what that is, will always be a challenge to figure out. In today’s episode, we’re going to explore different concepts that can guide developers and studios to find their own solutions to this universal problem. By sharing objective-based processes and other approaches, we’ll reveal valuable insights and opportunities that can be...

We all know that key art for our games plays a critical role in setting expectations for players, but sometimes despite the best intentions, it can still fall flat, causing confusion and even friction for players.  Today we’re going to dig deep into what key art should consist of, the importance of knowing the market, and explore everything from concept, design, and distribution so you can get closer to mastering your game’s key art.   Ep 325 Shownotes: