From Half-Life 2 Mods to Bloodlines 2 w/ Dan Pinchbeck

Why You're Scared of Taking Action

Got something you know you need to do, but you just... don't? Maybe it's asking someone out, changing career, starting a business, or finally admitting that your job title doesn't fit you any more. In this episode I dig into why our brains cling to "better the devil you know" even when it’s making us miserable. I share my own fears and leaps of faith, and walk you through the questions that will help get you unstuck. You're probably never going to feel completely ready,  so here's a little pep talk to help you be brave and take action. Send me your questions/comments at: https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast [https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast]  You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Sunday Dread

Hands up if you ever get that creeping feeling on a Sunday evening that the weekend's over and Monday's lurking on the horizon. Most of us know that feeling, but if it's happening every single week, it's worth figuring out what it's actually telling you. In this episode we dig into what could be causing your Sunday dread, how to identify the specific things draining your energy and some small practical things you can do to make your week a little easier. Key topics: Sunday dread, work anxiety, burnout, workplace stress, neurodivergence, ADHD, meetings, boundaries, commuting P.S. In this episode I mention one of my favourite books: The Dip by Seth Godin. It’s brilliant. Here’s the link to Amazon/Audible (affiliate) if you wanted to give it a read/listen: https://amzn.to/4uRChUU [https://amzn.to/4uRChUU]  I highly recommend it. It’s got me through a lot of big/tough decisions. P.P.S. Affiliate links cost you nothing, but if you buy the book I get a tiny commission. Which helps me to keep releasing the podcast for free. It genuinely helps me out when you click an affiliate link, and you get more free content in return. Send me your questions/comments at: https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast [https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast]  You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

You're Not Lazy

If you've ever called yourself lazy or had someone else say it to you, this episode is for you. Chances are, you're probably not lazy at all. You're likely depleted, overworked, burning out and running on empty. In this episode we talk about where that horrible label comes from and what we do when we're low energy that makes things worse. I remind you why rest isn't a reward & how it is an essential part of the process. Key topics: burnout, depletion, rest, energy management, self-criticism, doomscrolling, productivity guilt, overscheduling Send me your questions/comments at: https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast [https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast] You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/]  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Reset

The podcast is back! And it's had a bit of a makeover (or a make-under as I’ve stopped doing video, at least for now). In this update episode, I explain why I've been away for so long, why I've renamed the podcast and what you can expect going forward. If you're someone who looks fine on the outside but is quietly struggling underneath, this is for you. It’s good to be back! Key topics: burnout, sustainable success, ADHD, imposter syndrome, masking, people pleasing, career pivots, purpose Send me your questions/comments at: https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From Half-Life 2 Mods to Bloodlines 2 w/ Dan Pinchbeck

Dan Pinchbeck is the co-founder of The Chinese Room, the award-winning studio behind many wonderful games including Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Little Orpheus, Still Wakes The Deep and most recently Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. In this episode, we talk through Dan’s incredible journey with the studio. From its early days making Half-Life 2 mods to becoming one of the UK’s most distinctive storytelling studios. Dan opens up about the highs and lows of running a team and what really happened behind the scenes. He gives an honest insight into how he navigated creative burnout and what led him to leave the studio before Bloodlines 2 shipped. We also get into some big industry topics: the AI hype sweeping game dev, what’s broken in the games industry and what gives him hope for the future of smaller studios. Chapters: 00:00 The Origins of The Chinese Room 03:49 Starting with Mods: Conscientious Objector, Antilion Soccer, Dear Esther & Korsakovia 05:11 Moving to Commercial Games: Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs 07:02 Shifting from Walking Simulators to Horror Games 12:39 The Formation of The Chinese Room as a Company 16:33 The Impact of Studio Size on Development 20:23 Funding Struggles and the Studio Downsizing in 2017 25:57 Recovery and the Sumo Group Acquisition 29:06 Little Orpheus and Maintaining Creative Control After Acquisition 34:01 The State of the Game Industry 39:26 The Impact of AI on Game Development 45:46 Challenges for Indie Developers 48:27 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 01:02:43 What's next for Dan About Dan: Dan Pinchbeck is a writer, creative director, and co-founder of the acclaimed UK studio The Chinese Room. With a background in academia and digital arts, he’s known for pioneering narrative-driven experiences that blur the line between storytelling, atmosphere, and player agency. Dan’s work has helped shape modern indie game storytelling and inspired a generation of developers to experiment with emotion and meaning in games. You can find him on: Dan's Website: https://www.danpinchbeck.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpinchbeck/ About Me Hi, I’m Cat Burton! I've built studios, raised funding and shipped games to millions of players. Now I help you do the same with expert games consultancy and advice. The Goth Boss Podcast dives into the real challenges of making games and running game studios by sharing honest stories and inspiring conversations with my industry friends. You can connect with me on: GothBoss (Games Consultancy & Coaching): https://www.GothBoss.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gothbosscat Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gothbosscat.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gothbosscat ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.