Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch

This week, we talk about the game dev grind, curating social media, and health wake-up calls. Instead of extreme overhauls, small consistent habits are the name of the game. To make changes stick, they need to be reasonable and gradual. This applies to health and pretty much everything else too! It’s all part of staying ahead of those creeping issues before they start kicking down the door. Suppor...

In this episode, we discuss knowledge vaults, rhythm games, and automation tools. With the right leverage, automation doesn’t replace your skills, it amplifies them. You might lose a bit of hands-on practice, but you’ll be free to focus on bigger challenges and level up where it counts. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR...

This week, we talk about curiosity, nostalgia, and autonomy. In game dev, forward movement is a balance between bottlenecks and teamwork. That’s where autonomy shines! When everyone owns their piece of the work but syncs up when it matters, the whole machine runs smoother. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR_Opccn1n4 Stea...

In this episode, we discuss ear nightmares, mobile plans, and store management. Store management sounds simple, but it’s a time-eating beast. There are a million tasks from tweaking screenshots for every device to wrangling languages, and attention to detail is critical.  Making a game is just part one; selling it is where the hustle happens. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bsc...

This week, we talk about confidence, game balance, and walled gardens. Tech companies race to lock users into closed ecosystems to, theoretically, maximize their own profits. But as those walls go up, innovation slows down and users lose control over creativity and choice. It’s capitalism in action! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https:...

In this episode, we discuss random brags, game launches, and game design. Launching a game is like preparing for a fireworks show. Timing is everything. Jump the gun, and you risk a fizzle instead of a bang. Fire off too late, and no one’s watching. Everything needs to be set before hitting the big red launch button! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-...

This week, we talk about the healthcare system, space games, and parenting. Being a new parent is a lot like making games. Every kid comes with their own bugs and surprises, and you learn and adapt as you go. The second time around, you’re more fluent and less frantic, but that doesn’t mean crunch time gets any easier! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashland...

In this episode, we discuss dad life, skinny jeans, and productivity. When your brain decides not to cooperate, even simple tasks can feel hard. Staying productive requires balancing long-term projects with smaller, manageable tasks. Break work into chunks, minimize task-switching, and don’t let three tasks in a trench coat trick you into thinking they’re easy. Support Crashlands 2! Official Websi...

This week, we talk about localization, “nail or whiff”, and streaming. Horror games are streaming gold. People LOVE watching other people get spooked! But stream views don’t always translate to sales since the audience might prefer watching the scares to playing them. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR_Opccn1n4 Steam Wis...

In this episode, we discuss Concord, live service games, and marketing. A promotional effort might briefly spike sales, but rarely changes a game’s overall trajectory. Game marketing is about cumulative effects. There’s no silver bullet! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR_Opccn1n4 Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampower...

This week, we talk about red flags, risk management, and design patterns. Design isn’t just about making things work; that’s a baseline requirement. It’s also about how every interaction hits you in the feels. Let design pillars be your north star, aligning each decision towards the core experience you’re aiming for.  Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands...

In this episode, we discuss programming, hyperrealism, and story writing. In novels, the author controls the narrative and mostly guides the reader through a plot as a passenger. In contrast, video games often make you the protagonist and writers can’t always predict what you’ll do, so flexibly adapting to player choices and interactions is a challenge. It’s the essence of — we’re gonna say it, br...

This week, we talk about high school reunions, health tracking, and measurement fallacies. Tracking every metric can give the illusion of control, but data is often noisy, misleading, or just plain irrelevant. The challenge lies in finding meaningful, accurate interpretation without getting lost in the numbers. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Tra...

In this episode, we discuss dumb phones, road maps, and learning code. Acquiring a new skill is about unleashing your curiosity rather than fixating on specific frameworks. Whether you’re learning from classes, Youtube videos, or bootcamps, the key is chasing down those “what if” moments! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/...

This week, we talk about the pommel horse, Mario and Sonic, and the next blue ocean. Devs often rush to get in on the ground floor of new trends, hoping to capitalize on their potential before the market becomes saturated. Few succeed, and many more fail due to not understanding the actual market demand. If you’re going to roll the dice, remember that the house (almost) always wins! Support Crashl...

In this episode, we discuss the Crashlands 2 demo, ergonomics, and self-help books. Changing your environment and daily habits can make working towards your goals easier, if you know what tweaks to make. Self-help books can drop some solid wisdom, but they’re only starting points. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashland...

This week, we talk about the Crowdstrike fiasco, Flux’s feet, and AI slops. Today’s digital landscape is a jungle of space-cluttering slop, duplicitous scams, and product-pushing spam. Exciting, right? What a time to be alive! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR_Opccn1n4 Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/...

In this episode, we discuss sassy toddlers, short shorts, and boss fights. Boss fights need to hit you right in the feels. You’ve built up the mechanics and the stakes and the story leading up to this moment. Now it’s time for a memorable showdown. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/crashlands-2/ Trailer: https://youtu.be/yR_Opccn1n4 Steam Wishlist: https://store...

This week, we talk about naive enthusiasm, maintenance challenges, and process intricacies. Every aspect of game dev boils down to a technical process. Each artistic decision requires integration, and to keep that seamless, you gotta attend to the nitty gritty and understand the processes involved. The magic is in the details, and every pixel counts! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https:/...

In this episode, we discuss sneak attack, strategic miscalculation, and the integration problem. Making a tree sprite is easy, but making it meaningful in the game is tough. Does it drop resources? How do players interact with it? You can plan all you want, but you’ll only know if it works by playing the game. Ideas are just ideas until they’re fully integrated.  Support Crashlands 2! Official Web...

This week, we talk about the Game Changer, the Google debacle, and general artificial intelligence. Knowing the truth and saying something else is lying. But what if you don’t care what the truth is? What if you don’t even consider it? That’s what we call ”bullshit.” Which is a pretty good descriptor of the state of “AI” these days, come to think of it. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: http...

In this episode, we discuss Steam Nextfest, demo numbers, and the game dev gamut. Some parts of game dev are pure joy, while others, while essential, are a real headache.  The tradeoff of getting to watch a story come to life is sometimes spending the day wrestling with terrain tiles. It’s all part and parcel of being a game developer! Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www.bscotch.ne...

This week, we talk about Palworld, box art, and information transparency. Figuring out how much information to give to players is crucial. Too much information can overwhelm, while too little can frustrate. But strategic secrets create opportunities for players to explore, share, and engage with each other, fostering a community around the game. Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://www....

In this episode, we discuss time progressions, demo feedback, and friction mechanics. Players are always hollering for the removal of friction mechanics to make gameplay faster and smoother. But those very mechanics are the secret sauce that keeps the game spicy and intriguing! The trick is in finding friction that creates a good player experience.  Support Crashlands 2! Official Website: https://...

This week, we talk about demo shenanigans, sound design, and player feedback. Seasoned players and newcomers have very different experiences of the same game. When getting feedback, devs need to be careful in their analysis to make sure the adjustments they made actually have the intended effect. Every player’s opinion is valid, but not all opinions are equal! Support Crashlands 2! Official Websit...