The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook

*This episode contains heavy spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] chats with Jennifer Svedberg-Yen [https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_svedberg_yen/?hl=en], the lead writer on Sandfall Interactive's [https://www.sandfall.co/] debut hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 [https://www.expedition33.com/]. Together they discuss how she went from a career in finance and investments to her first job in games; how the world and characters evolved throughout the development process; exploring the idea of loss through multiple perspectives; writing romance that's true to the characters; and how they crafted the endings to let players make the crucial decision that feels most right to them.  This episode is supported by Xsolla [https://xsolla.pro/AIASP] Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review [https://apple.co/3rF0EtC]. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS [https://linktr.ee/AIAS] Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation [https://www.aiasfoundation.org/]

Trent Kusters [https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social] chats with Prokop Jirsa [https://www.linkedin.com/in/prokop-jirsa/?originalSubdomain=cz], Lead Designer on Kingdom Come: Deliverance II [https://kingdomcomerpg.com/], the hit historical RPG by Warhorse Studios [https://warhorsestudios.cz/en/]. Together they discuss the key pillars of the Kingdom Come series that influence the decisions they make around narrative and design; their focus on emergent gameplay and how that informs their philosophy on quest structure; designing a game where players feel the consequences of their decisions; and the importance of Czech culture and history to the look and feel of the Kingdom Come experience. This episode is supported by Xsolla [https://xsolla.pro/AIASP] Episode Host: Trent Kusters [https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social] Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review [https://apple.co/3rF0EtC]. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS [https://linktr.ee/AIAS] Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation [https://www.aiasfoundation.org/]

Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] chats with writers Dani Dee [https://www.linkedin.com/in/epistellar/] and Zaire Lanier [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zairelanier/] about their work on Compulsion Games [https://compulsiongames.com/] latest action-adventure, South of Midnight [https://compulsiongames.com/games/south-of-midnight/]. Together they discuss how they began their careers in writing and what led them to Compulsion Games [https://compulsiongames.com/]; how the team stayed authentic to the folklore of the American Deep South; the process of writing the main character and their emotional progression throughout the story; and how the game handles difficult subjects like trauma, loss, and powerlessness.  This episode is supported by Xsolla [https://xsolla.pro/AIASP] Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review [https://apple.co/3rF0EtC]. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS [https://linktr.ee/AIAS] Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation [https://www.aiasfoundation.org/]

Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] chats with actor Jennifer English [https://jenandalionahub.com/], best known for her iconic roles in games like Elden Ring [https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/elden-ring/elden-ring], Baldur's Gate III [https://baldursgate3.game/], and Sandfall Interactive's [https://www.sandfall.co/] debut smash hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 [https://www.expedition33.com/]. Together they discuss her prior career in classical theater as well as her previous work in games leading up to playing Maelle in Expedition 33 [https://www.expedition33.com/]; working with the development team and which practices she finds helpful in the booth; embodying a character and viewing the world through their eyes; the complex emotions actors feel when portraying difficult scenes; and what kinds of roles she hopes to play in the future. This episode is supported by Xsolla [https://xsolla.pro/AIASP] Episode Host: Alexa Ray Corriea [https://bsky.app/profile/alexaray.bsky.social] Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review [https://apple.co/3rF0EtC]. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS [https://linktr.ee/AIAS] Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation [https://www.aiasfoundation.org/]

Trent Kusters [https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social] chats with Tonda Ros [http://www.tondaros.com/], the creator of the mind bending puzzle roguelike, Blue Prince [https://www.blueprincegame.com/]. Together they discuss his prior career navigating the film industry and how he found himself creating his first game; the early tools and resources that helped him get started; brining in additional team members and what that meant for the project timeline; and the significant influence board games had on the game's design.  This episode is supported by Xsolla [https://xsolla.pro/AIASP] Episode Host: Trent Kusters [https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social] Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review [https://apple.co/3rF0EtC]. Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS [https://linktr.ee/AIAS] Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation [https://www.aiasfoundation.org/]