How to make a video game, with Auroch Digital

For our last episode of the season, we highlight something Auroch has done for a few years now but never really spoken about much on the podcast – Steam Events! Since 2020, we have been running them yearly and it’s a pleasure to share that work with you all.  Auroch colleague and esteemed guest, Simon Marshall, joins Matt and Jess in the studio to talk about what Steam events are and how to run on...

TIGA award nominated for Best Audio, Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun’s soundscape hits harder than a bolter, with more fire power than the Blood God himself 🔥  Matt returns with his audio episode for the season, chatting about building the dynamic system for Boltgun. Find out his favourite tracks, and how powerful music and sound can be in conveying that feeling of power!    Show Notes   For even more W...

We take the plunge into a mini-docuseries format for this episode, taking you through the rollercoaster that is launching a game to the whole world! If you’ve ever wondered what launch day is like at a games studio, then grab a cuppa and take a trip back to 23rd May 2023 with us.  With guest appearances from the developers themselves, Matt, Jess and Tom relive the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Boltg...

Resident Neuroscientist Jess is back at the mic with another psychology themed episode – this time, it’s all about fear in gaming.  Why do we like scary games? How do our brains react to fear? What is an amygdala? (spoilers - it’s NOT the eldritch horror that can be found looming over you from the side of a church tower)  Matt and Jess go through some of the games that have scared them the most, a...

October 1958; a month of incredible human accomplishments like the creation of NASA, Viggo Mortensen’s birth, and most importantly, the first videogame ‘Tennis for Two’ launched on an oscilloscope.  Fast-forward 65 years later, we reach present day, with mobile games in our pockets, 4k 120fps HDR Baldur’s Gate 3, and a vast array of consoles and controllers collecting dust in our attics (or proudl...

In our first episode of Season 9 we wear our horns proudly, welcoming you to the new year with a dose of studio love and enthusiasm. We invite Operations Director Nina Adams back to the pod and ask her all about Auroch Digital’s first in-person, studio-wide convention – MooCon!  Find out about the origins of MooCon, why it was so important to us as a remote-first studio to organise, and what we go...

How To Make a Video Game with Auroch Digital is back with another season! We've been incredibly busy managing the immense success of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and we have some incredible episodes lined up for you. This trailer will take you through all we have to offer in the upcoming season - keep an eye out for new releases in the following weeks!    Show Notes  📝 Sign up to our Newsletter to...

In our final episode of the season, Matt and Tomas peek back into the past of Warhammer – the origins, the evolution, and its impact on tabletop gaming as we know it.  They also talk about our highly anticipated upcoming title, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, and how the studio’s love for the franchise fed into an authentic Retro Warhammer game.  So pack up your chainsword, load up your Boltgun, and ge...

Resident Audio Designer and impeccable podcast host Matthew Walker leads this episode, revealing the secrets behind the game audio design pipeline and Brewmaster’s perfect pour. We discuss the importance of early audio integration and collaboration with other game development disciplines, the advantages of a rapid feedback loop, and how in-person production workshops have helped him flourish.    S...

Today we gather colleagues Hannah Corcoran, Freddie Jones, Toby Draper and Aaron Parsons together to share their experiences with one of our core pillars of work at Auroch Digital – game porting and publishing.  We talk about the process of working with indie devs to bring their game from PC to console platforms like Xbox, Nintendo and PlayStation, as well as mobile, or even taking a mobile game a...

Today we step into the Psychology of creating a video game, in a whistle stop tour led by our resident neuroscientist, Jess. They describe the psychology behind art, music and colour within videogames, and why gaming can be so important for our mental health.   *content warning* mild discussion of struggling with mental health    Show notes  Thanks for tuning in to an episode that’s close to our h...

We’re entering the dawn of a new age in role playing games – or at least, so we at Auroch Digital believe. RPG enthusiasts Peter Willington and Lucy Cook join hosts Matt, Jess and Tom for this episode. They contemplate the idea of an RPG renaissance, that RPGs and TTRPGs are stronger and more varied than ever, and that now is the perfect time to invest in the wealth of joy and fun that RPGs have t...

We’re back with fresh insights into the dos and don’ts of interviews within the games industry, led by our Studio Director Tomas Rawlings. Having conducted over 100 interviews, Tom is on hand to answer burning questions such as ‘do I need a portfolio?’ and ‘what should I wear?’, as well as suggest what you in turn can ask your prospective employers.    Show Notes    We’re currently hiring for vari...

How To Make a Video Game with Auroch Digital is back with another season! This teaser episode takes you on a rundown of all that season 8 has to offer - we can't wait to have you back in the studio with us.   Show Notes 📝 Sign up to our Newsletter to stay up to date with Auroch Digital  💬 Want to talk to us? Join our Discord   🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon   and 🍻 Brewmaster...

It's our last episode of season 7, and what an episode to finish on! We welcome guest David Rock, AKA granitepenguin, to a conversation between Matt, Tomas and Jess about his journey with Steve Jackson Games' Ogre. David details how he started as a dear fan of the TTRPG and our digital adaptation for PC, and tells us of his experience as being a Line Editor at Steve Jackson Games. Tomas and David...

For this episode we bring to you a fascinating 1-1 session between our Studio Director, Tomas Rawlings, and Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games. They talk about the origins of Ogre, the wargame centred on immensely powerful giant cybernetic tanks, and Steve Jackson remarks on the journey of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that transcends the realm between digital and physic...

Join hosts Tomas, Matt and Jess in this episode that focuses on Climate Change in Games Development. With guests Dr Benjamin Abraham and Steven Webb, we explore why it is the Games Industry is a key component in the movement against climate change. We ask what a sustainable future for the industry looks like with Ben, discuss games like our own Dark Future: Blood Red States and how they’re used as...

Let us take you back to the dawn of Games Workshop's infamous Warhammer 40,000. In this episode we are joined by Studio Director Dr Tomas Rawlings, who takes us through in immeasurable detail the 1st edition of 40K and his continuing journey as a passionate player of a franchise that has spanned over 30 years going from strength to strength. We ask what is it about 40K's design that makes it both...

Grab your best headphones and settle in, because we'd like you to join us in taking a look back at Auroch Digital's musical catalogue. We break down three of the tracks from the Mars Horizon soundtrack, really unpacking what music can make us think and feel, and how that plays such a vital part in video game design. We also discuss what the audio development pipeline is like in the studio, and Mat...

Today we’re (virtually) opening the doors of the studio and inviting you in to see what working at Auroch is like now we've adapted to COVID-19. Ever wondered what a Studio Director’s Day looks like? Or how to manage your own community as a Games Studio? We discuss this and more with our colleagues at Auroch Digital, and explain why we are now a largely remote-working studio. Show Notes Did Brewma...

Season 7 of How To Make A Video Game with Auroch Digital is back! This teaser trailer runs through the epic line-up we have in store for you this season, so tune in and get ready for all that 2022 has to offer. Show Notes 📝 Sign up to our Newsletter  to stay up to date with Auroch Digital 💬 Want to talk to us?  Join our Discord 🕹️ Check out our latest titles:  🚀 Mars Horizon   and 🍻 Brewmaster...

Happiness comes in many forms, especially when it comes to video games. So what is it that video games do that can help you feel happy, and is there anything that connects the games that make us feel this way? We also take a look at non-violent video games, the rise of these through indie games and the sheer variety of gameplay mechanics you can have that are non-violent. James Batchelor, compiler...

Hosts Jemima and Matt are joined by another incredible guest in this weeks episode. Sword fighting expert Fran talks to us about weapons in video games. Which games do it well? Which games do it badly? What is most important to get right when showing the complexities and brutality of using weapons? We look at The Witcher, Mount & Blade, Nidhogg, Skyrim, For Honor, and more. Games discussed in this...

It's the final episode of our 3 part Mars Horizon special with amazing guests from the UK Space Agency ! Jem, Matt, and Tom are joined by Paul Smith, Robotic Exploration Programme Manager🤖 at the UK Space Agency. Hear about the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover, featured in Mars Horizon, from someone who works on the mission and has even seen the rover up close! We also find out all about colonising M...

It's the second episode of our 3 part Mars Horizon special with amazing guests from the UK Space Agency ! This week Jem, Matt, and Tom are joined by Dr Alice Bunn , International Director at at UK Space Agency. Dr. Bunn explains how space agencies co-operate and collaborate, why this is so important, and how space exploration affects our daily lives. We talk about how this collaboration will help...