indie game garden

21 - Tyler "Zzox" McCarthy of good

Tyler McCarthy, who goes by Zzox online, is a solo game dev and musician who has completed over 25 game projects during his 8+ years of development. His most recent release is called good. It’s a game which depicts a day in the life of a typical american teenage boy who plays sports and stumbles around a world rendered in quirky 2D pixel art. The linear story has plenty of emotional punch, while the minigames bring me back to my days of miniclip and the smell of summer’s cut grass through the window. Play good on Steam right freaking now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3165530/good/ Check out Tyler's other games on his site: https://zzox.net/games Football 17776: https://www.sbnation.com/a/17776-football Dicey Dungeons: https://store.steampowered.com/app/861540/Dicey_Dungeons/ VVVVVV: https://store.steampowered.com/app/70300/VVVVVV/ Terry Cavanagh podcast episode: https://secretlives.games/33-making-generous-games-with-terry-cavanagh Animal Well: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/ Billy Basso podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ru/podcast/the-guts-of-indie-with-animal-wells-billy-basso/id1671350556?i=1000769949435 Kitty Collector: https://www.nekoatsume.com/en/ Travel Frog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_Frog Baby Steps: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281040/Baby_Steps/ Age of Empires II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition/

20 - Adrian Vaughan of The Drifter, PlaySide Studios, and SO much more!

Adrian Vaughan might just be the most interesting video game guest I can think of, and I’m not just saying that. I invited Adrian on the show after being absolutely stunned by his work on The Drifter, in which he voices multiple characters – none more impactful than the main character, Mick Carter. Listening to Adrian voice Mick changed my perspective on the value, cathartic joy, and emotional resonance that voice acting can bring to a work of art – video game or not. Then, I did a little research. Low and behold, Adrian has voiced characters in a number of other stellar indie games, including Loco Motive, Harold Halibut, and Mouse: P.I. for Hire. But wait! There’s more. He’s also been working as an artist, 3D modeler, and art lead at game studios since 2007. For his day job, Adrian has helped create and ship titles like Civ VII, Shattered, Age of Empires III, Smash Golf, Need For Speed: No Limits, and many, many more. What an absolute gem of a person and practitioner. Adrian's website: https://www.adievaughan.com/ Adrian's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/yeoldshrimpeyes.bsky.social Adrian's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-YSyr0ribAeGiH-HlBy2A The Inanimate Mr. Coatrack: https://powerhoof.itch.io/the-inanimate-mr-coatrack Intergalactic Wizard Force: https://powerhoof.itch.io/intergalactic-wizard-force The Maître D': https://powerhoof.itch.io/the-maitre-d The Drifter: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/The_Drifter/ All of Powerhoof's itch games: https://powerhoof.itch.io/ Fincher: https://nofilmschool.com/david-fincher-filmmaking-style Deakins: https://infocusfilmschool.com/cinematographer-roger-deakins/ RedLetterMedia: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia

19 - Fer of Tossdown

Fer is the solo developer behind the chaotic and flow-state-inducing delivery roguelike Tossdown. The way I’ve heard Fer describe his game is the stylistic flair of Jet Set Radio meets the action arcade gameplay of Crazy Taxi, and if that’s not fuel for the soul then I don’t know what is. I’m super excited to sit down with Fer to discuss his experience as a Nigerian game developer and how he came up with the idea for the beautiful mix of stylish, sporadic elegance that is Tossdown.  Wishlist Tossdown on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3241560/Tossdown/ Check out Fer's itch.io page: https://theferfactor.itch.io/

18 - Matt Fister (AKA Freezebeam) of Realmfold & Towerbound

Matt Fister is an indie game developer based in Boston, Massachusetts. He goes by the tag Freezebeam and is known for creating surreal bitscapes across genres and modes of play in his games. I’m a particular fan of his shmups: Unseelie Chorus and Escape Wizard. His game Towerbound is perhaps the most clever take on tower defense I’ve seen to date, featuring small tweaks to the tried-and-true formula that change the entire flow of the genre in a way that feels fresh. And his newest game is a peaceful city builder called Realmfold. Go play it now!  Play Realmfold and all of Matt's games on his itch page HERE: https://freezebeam.itch.io/ Check out Domino Grove: https://ezra-szanton.itch.io/domino-grove AND our interview with Domino Grove creator Ezra Szanton here: https://indiegamegarden.transistor.fm/6 Subset Games (creators of Into the Breach and FTL): https://subsetgames.com/ Dorfromantik (video game version): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1455840/Dorfromantik/ Dorfromantik (board game version): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370591/dorfromantik-the-board-game Sol Cesto: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2738490/Sol_Cesto/ Rift Wizard: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1271280/Rift_Wizard/ Path of Achra: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2128270/Path_of_Achra/ Animal Well: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/ DEMON'S TILT: https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/ XENOTILT: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2008980/XENOTILT_HOSTILE_PINBALL_ACTION/ Obsidian (notetaking app): https://obsidian.md/ My silly little game, Harley & Bleak: https://darthmalks.itch.io/harley-bleak

17 - Pete of Chaystar Unlimited, the makers of Asbury Pines

Pete is part of a two-person development team called Chaystar Unlimited. They are the developers of Asbury Pines, an expansive, narrative-driven idle game about a small town through the ages. In Asbury Pines, Pete's unique perspective on game design and storytelling comes through in a way that you have to experience to believe. Join us for a conversation about games writing, making independent projects, and the joy that can stem from treating characters with care. Go buy Asbury Pines! It's AMAZING: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2212790/Asbury_Pines/ Check out Chaystar's other game, Lilith Odyssey: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1450800/Lilith_Odyssey/ Join the Asbury Pines Discord and follow along with Pete's development journey: https://discord.com/invite/thyYmrT Flink Pamingo on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/flinkpamingo Chaystar's early webcomic, SEa DoPe! https://www.moddb.com/games/sea-dope