Dev Dream Pod with Blake Gocey

Why You Shouldn’t Mix 3 Genres (He Tried)

Join The Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuEWilliam of Studio Kunic returns to the Dev Dream Pod to discuss his wild gamedev journey — building a custom raycasting engine in Godot for Lair Keeper, pivoting from Dungeon Keeper ideas to a Slay the Spire-style dungeon crawler, and his new addictive arcade-inspired game.From game jam chaos to protecting ideas in the AI era, this is packed with honest solo dev insights.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Welcome Back William01:27 - Lair Keeper Origins03:08 - Why He Pivoted07:35 - Lair Keeper Draw & Brawl10:16 - Custom Render Engine13:29 - Raycasting in Godot19:48 - Playdate Influence20:04 - Engine Time Investment23:03 - When to Build Engines26:04 - Lair Keeper Future34:20 - New Pop the Lock Game37:46 - Balatro Inspired Mechanics41:36 - Design Challenges44:42 - Board Game Inspiration50:24 - YouTube Strategy Struggles57:56 - Dev Dream & GoalsIf you're into Godot, roguelikes, game jams, custom engines, or solo game development, this episode is gold.---#Godot #IndieDev #GameJam #LairKeeper #SoloDev #CustomEngine #Roguelike #GameDev

The Design Conflict That Almost Broke His Game

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuE Jeremy from Jeremy Makes Games shares his honest indie dev journey — abandoning Merchants of the Stars, building his roguelike Get in the Hole, and key lessons on Steam marketing, design tension, and YouTube devlogs.Get In The Hole: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4174950/Get_in_the_Hole/Jeremy's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JSMakesGames🎮 Roguelike vs Incremental, solo dev life, Steam Next Fest strategy & more.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 - Cursed Game Design01:15 - Abandoning First Game03:22 - Google to Indie Dev08:48 - Making Toggle App14:04 - Mobile Monetization Lessons19:05 - Merchants on Steam20:56 - Get in the Hole21:10 - Roguelike vs Incremental24:06 - Design Tension Explained26:59 - Steam Demo Results28:36 - Retention Improvements31:48 - Scaling with Items34:06 - Roguelike Builds36:06 - Killing Darlings38:47 - Marketing Challenges40:24 - Name Problems43:34 - Next Fest Plans44:41 - Luck vs Skill49:47 - Content Creator Outreach54:54 - YouTube DevlogsIf you're into indie game development, roguelikes, or Steam marketing, this is full of real talk and practical lessons.#IndieDev #GameDev #Roguelike #SoloDev #SteamNextFest

He Made One Million Check Boxes

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJ Nolen's website: https://eieio.games/ In this episode, we dive into the mind of Nolan, a developer known for creating wildly unconventional multiplayer experiences like 1 Million Checkboxes and 1 Million Chessboards. Instead of following traditional game dev paths, Nolan explores strange, experimental ideas that bring thousands of players together in unexpected ways.We talk about how he got started, why weird ideas often outperform polished ones, and what it takes to design multiplayer systems that encourage fun instead of chaos. From viral internet experiments to deep thoughts on creativity, constraints, and player behavior—this conversation is packed with insights for indie devs and curious creators alike.This podcast explores experimental game development, indie game design, and viral multiplayer experiences with developer Nolan. Learn how games like 1 Million Checkboxes and 1 Million Chessboards became internet sensations, and discover insights on creative coding, unconventional game mechanics, and building engaging online interactions. Perfect for indie developers, programmers, and anyone interested in unique game design, multiplayer systems, and creative experimentation in game development. Chapters 00:00 Intro & Overview 03:00 Early Experiments 06:15 Creative Signals 09:00 Solving Hard Problems 12:02 Recurse Center Insights 15:07 Solo Dev Reality 18:00 Checkbox Virality 00:21:01 Anti-Troll Design 24:10 Stranger Video Game 27:04 Learning Process 30:18 Chessboards Explained 33:03 Emergent Gameplay 36:01 Ending Experiences 39:06 Game Length Debate 42:10 Future Projects 45:03 Dev Identity Hashtags#gamedev #indiedev #gameprogramming #indiegames #multiplayergames #creativecoding #webdev #gamedevelopment #indiegame #programming #gamepodcast #gamedevlife #experimentalgames

SamYam is A Game Dev YouTube Icon - Next Step, Solo Dev

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/a2hceZhcfJSamYam opens up about her journey as a 120K+ sub Unity YouTuber turned indie game dev. She shares why her second Steam game Bus Buddies flopped after Desktop Cat Cafe succeeded, brutal multiplayer lessons with SDF sculpting, hackathon wins, YouTube burnout, and her big gamedev dream.In this honest conversation, she breaks down playtesting mistakes, marketing realities, team vs solo development, and how she makes game dev more fun and accessible for “TikTok brains.”SamYam on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@UCCkLMimnKzKbOQYxPDSYXFw Desktop Cat Cafe: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978180/Desktop_Cat_Cafe/Bust Buddies: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3768810/Bust_Buddies/ Chapters:0:00 Intro & Discord Announcement 2:38 Why Make Gamedev Fun 6:02 Growing Up a Gamer 9:04 Hackathons & Web3 Days 13:43 Bus Buddies Game Idea 15:40 Multiplayer Development Hell 20:03 Teamwork vs Solo Dev 22:06 Why Bus Buddies Flopped 25:32 Playtesting & Prototyping Tips 33:50 Desktop Cat Cafe Story 38:10 Branching Into New Genres 39:00 Marketing & Wishlist Lessons 42:50 YouTube Channel Origin 44:33 YouTube Burnout & Evolution 50:47 YouTube Advice for Game Devs 55:03 Business & Brand Plans 1:01:38 Steam Marketing Meta 1:08:30 Viewer Questions 1:09:11 Handling Hate as Female Dev 1:13:22 Sam's Gamedev Dream If you're building games in Unity, launching on Steam, or growing a game dev YouTube channel, this episode is full of real talk and actionable lessons from someone who's done both successfully. Subscribe for more indie dev interviews, Unity tips, and Steam launch stories!#Unity #GameDev #IndieGame #Steam #BusBuddies #DesktopCatCafe #samyam #MultiplayerGame #IndieDev #YouTubeTips #GameDevelopment #UnityTutorial #SoloDev

You're Missing The Best Time Ever To Make A Video Game

Inside Conference: https://howtomarketagame.com/insideChris's Free Blog: https://www.howtomarketagame.com/freeJoin The Dev Dream Discord: https://discord.gg/qG3EA8fuEThis episode with Chris Zukowski of How To Market A Game dives deep into the reality of indie game development, breaking down what it actually takes to succeed on Steam in today’s so-called “golden age” of small, fast-to-make games. We explore why genres like incremental games, roguelites, and management sims are dominating, how to validate your game idea using demos and itch.io, and why most indie games fail—even when developers follow all the “right” marketing strategies. From building wishlists and leveraging Steam Next Fest to working with content creators and understanding what makes a game “have it,” this podcast is packed with actionable insights for beginner and experienced indie devs alike. If you're trying to grow your game, launch successfully, or avoid wasting years on the wrong project, this is a must-listen conversation about indie game marketing, game design strategy, and how to actually make money as a solo developer.Chapters:00:00 Intro04:45 Conference Origins 09:30 Small Games Thesis 15:10 Industry Misconceptions 20:40 Why Small Wins 26:15 Speed Advantage 31:50 Scope Discipline 37:20 Dev Reality Check 42:55 Marketing Mindset 48:30 Finding Players 54:05 Platform Strategy 59:40 Algorithm Leverage 1:05:10 Viral Mechanics 1:10:45 Monetization Truth 1:16:20 Real Examples 1:21:30 Final Advice 1:26:00 Closing Thoughts #IndieGameDev #GameDevelopment #SteamGames #IndieDev #GameMarketing #SoloDev #GamedevTips #IndieGames #SteamNextFest #ItchIO #GameDesign #Roguelike #IncrementalGames #GameDevPodcast #MakeGames