Game, Develop, Repeat

40 Episodes
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By: AnxiousBuddhaGames

I analyze a game I love, discuss lessons learned from it, and then suggest straightforward tips to help every game developer sustain and grow their passion. Hosted by an ex music teacher turned indie game developer.

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Arts Education Leisure Games Video Games
Priorities and Sacrifices
#129
Today at 12:00 PM

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
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Getting to Protoyping
#128
06/09/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
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Pretending to Work and Fake Fun
#127
06/02/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

The Minimap Rant
05/26/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

When to Stop Gaming
#125
05/19/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

The Video Game Writing Rant
#124
05/12/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Games and Expectations
#123
05/05/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Fresh Starts
#122
04/28/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Oops I'm Failing
#121
04/21/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Killing Time
#120
04/14/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Redemption Arcs
#119
04/07/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Peace and Quiet
#118
03/31/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Into the Unknown
#117
03/24/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

On Being Practical
#116
03/17/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

On Trying Too Hard
#115
03/10/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

The Tortured Artist
#114
03/03/2025

A game I meant to mention that has major "tortured artist" vibes: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1156380/One_Dreamer/

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

A Cozy Update
#113
02/24/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Rewards in Games and in Life
#112
02/17/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

The Overthinker
#111
02/10/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Some Optimism For You
#110
02/03/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

The Sidequest Dilemma
#109
01/27/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Have Games Gotten Worse?
#108
01/20/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Procrastinating is Okay
#107
01/13/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Binge Gaming
#106
01/06/2025

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Sweat the Small Stuff
#105
12/30/2024

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Life Without Games
#104
12/23/2024

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

On Overthinking
#103
12/16/2024

 Game:

 Overthinking Mechanics Overthinking in different genres Enjoyable vs unenjoyable overthinking

 Develop:

 Looking for objective facts Creativity as communication Creative diary entries Building creative communication skills

 Repeat:

 What do you enjoy overthinking? What do you dislike overthinking?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

Inspiration and Personal Evolution (Don't Escape)
#102
12/09/2024

 Game:

 The problem with point and click games A single game developer's evolution 

 Develop:

 Finishing a project instead of expanding it Saving evolutions of your project for future projects Seeing a developer's evolution vs seeing just the finished product

 Repeat:

 What art inspires you? A rant about Arcane and John Singer Sargent Nonchalior: https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.35080.html What demotivates you?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m...

Sonic Says I've Gotta Go Fast
#101
12/02/2024

 Game:

 Sonic and running into walls Fast but not distracted

 Develop:

 The urge to go slow The long game Time scales for progress

 Repeat:

 What is your time scale for finishing your project/getting good at game dev?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

100: Shortcuts Cheats and Struggles
#100
11/25/2024

 Game:

 The Golden Cheatcode Era and Bighead Mode DLC as Cheats Single vs Multiplayer Cheats Skill development and Cheating Cheating and fun

 Develop:

 The Piano Analogy, slow focused practice Taking advice and exploring advice Rushing past the joy The 100th episode is done

 Repeat:

 Is there any part of development you'd like to try savoring more? 

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, sugg...

099: Feedback and Early Access (Soulframe)
#99
11/18/2024

 Game:

 Soulframe alpha and feedback accessibility Subnautica's beautiful feedback system "Why Subnautica Owes Its Success to This Button" Hades and roguelike early access Project Zomboid and long Early Access times Free vs Paid early access

 Develop:

 Closed, short test run within a community Putting feedback buttons within the game Paid early access Overwhelming feedback Player isn't always right, but there's always value in listening.

 Repeat:

 What is the role of feedback in your development process?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse b...

098: The Impression of Fun (Brighter Shores)
#98
11/11/2024

 Game:

 Brighter Shores and Runescape Number goes up I'm confused about why I don't enjoy these games

 Develop:

 The idle to engaging gameplay spectrum Infinite vs limited games Distractions and Ethics My evolving design philosophy

 Repeat:

 What types of games do you want to make?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, sup...

097: Default Hotkeys and You
#97
11/04/2024

 Game:

Unplayable default hotkeysMechwarrior 2 and 3Warcraft III hotkey optimizationGothic hotkey engineeringDustforce, CelesteThe "First letter" hotkey scheme

 Develop:

Default responses to challengesBashing my head against walls vs learning toolsKey rebinding and therapy

 Repeat:

What is your default response to overwhelming challenges?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

096: The Goal Dilemma
#96
10/28/2024

 Game:

Games without goalsHow games present goalsChallenges, exploration, invitations

 Develop:

Creating thingsMusic, Game Dev, and WritingCoding feels like improvisationNot having a goal

 Repeat:

What size of goal is useful for you?Are there times when you benefit from not having a goal?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative com...

095: On Competitive Games
#95
10/21/2024

 Game:

 Warcraft III ranked Climbing the ladder Blizzard's affinity for competitive games

 Develop:

 Pro-competitive design Marketplace competition Skill development and rankings Rankings are not the full picture

 Repeat:

 Do you like competitive games? Favorite? Do you find competition useful?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

094: Creative Exhaustion
#94
10/14/2024

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

093: Drowning, Timers, and Quest Logs
#93
10/07/2024

 Game:

 Drowning in Sonic  Time limits If Skyrim had no quest log Baldur's Gate and Morrowind

 Develop:

 Work expands to fill time Time pressure vs financial pressure To-Do list vs Quest Log

 Repeat:

 How does your life's quest log function?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build a strong, supportive, creative community.

092: Satisfactory is Basically Game Development
#92
09/30/2024

 Game:

 Efficiency Chasing Interconnected web of goals Destroying the planet Single-mindedness Incredible aesthetic and voice-over Overwhelming but manageable

 Develop:

 Development at its best Development at its worst Deeply Satisfying Tiny optimizations can waste time

 Repeat:

 How can your development be more like Satisfactory? What "efficiency traps" do you fall into?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

Send me any feedback, suggestions, or questions! I'd love for us to build...

091: Addicted to Walkthroughs
#91
09/23/2024

 Game:

 JRPG Guides Step by step, line by line Official vs community guides Skipping parts of the guide Complex Mechanical Guides  "Just trust me" Terminology overload Skill Based Guides

 Develop:

 Every weakness, every strength The need for tutorials Ignoring and extracting information The importance of context A note about useless teachers/guides

 Repeat:

 Best guide (or teacher) experiences? Worst guide (or teacher) experiences?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg/GvYRtTQM9m

S...

090: Noticing Good Game Design
#90
09/16/2024

Game:

Bad DesignIncredible designHidden good designThe crazy, interconnected nature of game design

 Develop:

Getting overwhelmed by big inspirationsLocking in on the small inspirationsGradually realizing how much you can actually create

 Repeat:

What game has incredible design, and what small element of it stands out to you?What game has some major flaws, and what design element would you pull inspiration from or redesign?

My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/
Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(this sentence is to confuse bots@)gmail.com
Join our discord: https://discord.gg...