Post Games

Max Nichols, video game designer, educator, and Zelda historian behind Hyrule Interviews. He traces Zelda’s Famicom Disk System origins and early design shifts. He explores hardware choices, behind-the-scenes creator roles, the Second Quest anecdote, Kondo’s title theme story, Zelda’s sci‑fi roots, and the growth of fan communities and preservation efforts.

You now have access to my recent talk at NYU Game Center, previously only heard by 200 or so people in downtown Brooklyn. The lecture, given last Thursday, is titled “The Nine Lives of Video Games Journalism,” and in it, I suggest where the games media is heading by comparing the current trends to the past 50 years and the many publications that have come and gone.[The talk moves fast. I crammed about 90 minutes of lecture into an hour. So I’m making the Google Slides deck available for folks who’d like to follow along. You can find them at www.post.games. I’ve also edited the audio to smooth the flow here and there. An unedited video version will be available on the NYU Game Center’s YouTube page in the coming weeks.]Show Notes and Bonus Episodes:Want full show notes for free, including links to everything we mention? Visit www.post.gamesGet weekly bonus segments, video episodes, monthly exclusive episodes, and more at patreon.com/postgames for only $5Sponsors:Incogni Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to incogni.com/postgamesFactor Deal: Head to Factormeals.com/postgames50off and use code postgames50off to get 50% off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details).Quince Deal: Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com/POSTGAMES for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Art & Music:Logo and Show Art: James BarehamTheme: Mark SparlingAll interviews on Post Games are edited for concision and clarity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Friedrich Kirschner, founder and creative director of Three More Years who makes games about climate futures. He discusses a mini golf project that channels grief and agency. The conversation traces how poetry, theatre, and gig‑economy worldbuilding shape design. They explain structure, tone, and why small playful rituals can carry big, uneasy visions.

A.P. Thompson, an independent game designer and musician behind Consume Me and Titanium Court, and a two-time IGF grand prize winner. He recounts prototyping Titanium Court, his hour-long “message in a bottle” development bursts, and what solo development looks like today. He also discusses genre mixing, match-three mechanics, palette and musical influences, and the tricky realities of awards versus sales.

Tony Howard-Arias, co-founder of Black Tabby Games and publisher of narrative indies, and Remy Siu, creative director at Sunset Visitor known for 1000 Times Resist, join to discuss storytelling in games. They explore AI personhood, Captcha mechanics, publishing that supports indie teams, dramaturgical collaboration, and how narrative-led games probe contemporary anxieties.

Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, artist, game designer, and archivist known for BlackTransArchive and The Delusion. She discusses blending games, performance, and archives into emotional, participatory works. Topics include designing archival games, gallery play mechanics, safeguarding heated conversations, and pitching interactive art to museums.

Christoffer Bodegård, writer and developer of Esoteric Ebb who studied player agency and interactive writing, recounts an eight-year, four-prototype journey shaped by Disco Elysium. He contrasts tabletop immediacy with digital polish. Hear how chimes voice the protagonist’s mind, turning prototypes into a polished solo-DM experience that found traction after demo, coverage, and smart iteration.

Seth Davis, President and CEO of Stern Pinball, recounts how Stern survived the downturn and modernized pinball for homes. Lewis Gordon, reporter and critic, breaks down Crimson Desert and the rise of Korean AAA games. They discuss manufacturing complexity, designing tables for home play, connected features and leaderboards, and how franchises and collectors shape the market.

C. Thi Nguyen, philosopher and author exploring how scoring systems shape who we become, and Gita Jackson, critic and editor focused on games and internet culture, dive into gamification, metrics corrupting institutions, and how scoring can both liberate and oppress. They discuss optimization in modern games, why some titles feel joyless, the promise of democratic scoring, and what makes Marathon feel intense and meaningful.

[Editor’s note: This week, all subscribers will have access to the Patreon-exclusive bonus segment. If you enjoy this extra material, or would just like to support the long-term health of the show, please consider subscribing on Patreon or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.]Want full show notes for free, including links to everything we mention? Visit www.post.gamesGet weekly bonus segments, video episodes, monthly exclusive episodes, and more at patreon.com/postgames for only $5INCOGNI Deal: To get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan, go to incogni.com/postgamesThis week on Post Games:Act 1: The 17-Year Fight to Protect Games from the GovernmentAct 2: The ESA’s President on AI, Child Safety, and Calls for UnionizationPatreon Bonus: Three Big Takeaways from the Interview Guests:Stanley Pierre-Louis: President and CEO, ESAClosing Song: “Jumping Voices (Big Walk Theme)” by aksfx (Big Walk)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.