

Indie Game Guildhall
Indie Game Academy
Real stories from real game developers about breaking into the Indie side of the video game industry. Welcome to the Indie Game Guildhall, hosted by the Indie Game Academy! Listen in or join live.Our podcast is hosted and recorded live on our Discord. Each Wednesday at 12pm EST we interview experts in the game industry and give community members like YOU a chance to ask them questions. We cover breaking into the indie game industry, publishing games, game design and so much more.Join the Discord
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 8, 2023 • 52min
Telling Stories in Any Medium
In this episode, we sit down with Blair Erickson, a seasoned technologist and creative director, whose impressive portfolio includes work in various entertainment fields. From film to television, video games, and interactive virtual worlds, Blair has left his mark on the industry. We dive into his unique experience writing and directing the groundbreaking virtual reality feature film, "Banshee Chapter," now streaming on Netflix. And then there's his game, "All The Rage".Join us as we explore the intersection of technology and creativity with a true pioneer in the field.Learn more about BlairLearn more about All The RageLearn more about Banshee ChapterLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Apr 21, 2023 • 58min
How I'd market differently if I was making a video game (which I am)
Ah marketing. The bane of any sol-dev or indie dev team. Actually getting your game discovered is by far one of the hardest parts of game development. For the ✨50th episode✨ of the Indie Game Lunch Hour we brought in our friends at Next Level Web to help us out with that! Join Andrew Lowen and Sean Bradford in a discussion about marketing indie games and more. Learn more about Next Level WebLearn more about their Kickstarter CourseLearn more about DeliveranceLearn more about SeanLearn more about AndrewRead Self Promotion MistakesRead Crowdfunding FundamentalsLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Apr 19, 2023 • 54min
How to be a Good Manager in Games
We all know managers who suck. But a big part of the reason they suck is because being a manager is actually really hard. Being somebody who can simulatenously listen, and direct. In this week's episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour we talked with Eli Delventhal, an engineering manager at Meta working on the Horizon Project. Eli gave us tips and tricks on how to be a good manager in games, and so much more.Learn more about EliLearn more about TaelmoorLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Mar 29, 2023 • 45min
How to become an Environmental Artist
An Environmental Artist is the person who creates those beautiful scenic views and dark dangerous forests from our favorite video games. They are often the person manually building the worlds we explore, and the ones making them beautiful. This week we are joined by Lulu Neel, a highly exeprienced Environemntal Artist, to hear how one gets started in the field, and what an environmental artist actually does.Learn more about LuluCheck out her portfolioLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Mar 15, 2023 • 48min
How to Break In as a Game Writer
Writing is one of the oldest and noblest artforms. The written word is a powerful communication technique that allows writers to leave emotional impacts on their readers and players for decades after the last period is put on the page. But unfortuantely, it's also one of the hardest fields to break into in games!This week on the Indie Game Lunch Hour, we are joined by Sangita Nuli, a features writer at Game Rant who has also written for multiple indie titles. Sangita gives us some perspective, as well as tips and tricks, for breaking into the game industry as a writer. Learn more about SangitaLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Mar 14, 2023 • 50min
Saving the Planet with Games
The world needs our help! And what better way to help it than with... video games? This was the thought process of Lukas Hammarström, the founder of Bottel. Bottel is a fascinating new Games Marketplace where the only way to purchase video games and other goods is via recycling real world bottles. Is this straightforward technique the secret to saving our natural world from plastic polution? Learn more about LukasLearn more about BottelLukas' favorite bookLearn more about us Join the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Mar 8, 2023 • 1h 3min
One Year After Starting an Indie Studio
Many of us dream of starting our own Indie Game Studio one day, but we're not quite sure where to start! Today we welcome Dan Mellott and David Doane, the co-founders of Left Turn Studios for their second appearance on our humble podcast. Dan and David have some wonderful thoughts and perspective on how to start your own indie game studio, and many lessons learned after one year of their own journey! Hint: It takes longer than you think.Learn more about Left TurnLearn more about DanLearn more about DavidLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Feb 22, 2023 • 53min
What can we Learn from our Favorite Video Games?
We all have the same story. We were young, and some glossy new video game got released. We begged our mom and dad for it, or perhaps snuck away to a friend's house, and eventually finally got to play. And then our whole lives changed, and we decided we had to work in the game industry. In this week's episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour we talk about our favorite video games and do out best to cut them to pieces. But we do it with love, with the intent of becoming better game developers.What is your favorite game?Learn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Feb 15, 2023 • 53min
Cutting Through the Bull Poo on Creative Teams
Sometimes working on teams is hard. Strike that. A lot of the time, working on teams is hard. There are so many personalities to manage, so many opinions to hear, and so much bull poo to wade through! This episode, learn the fundamentals of being a good teammate from Brendan Milos, visual designer at Brilliant!Learn more about BrendanLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

Feb 1, 2023 • 53min
How to Start an Indie Game Studio and Find a Publisher
We all dream of starting our own video game studio one day. We all want to build our own games, and make money doing it. Well, in this week's exciting episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour we are joined by Luther Patenge, a guy who did just that!Luther founded Joy Manufacturing Co, the indie studio behind the infamous game Ambition: a Minuet in Power. Luther has a lot to say on starting your own indie game studio and on finding a publisher for your game.Check out Ambition a Minuet in PowerLearn more about LutherLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.


