Draknek & Friends Official Podcast

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Robin and Jeremy, the developers behind The Roottrees are Dead. Topics include the origins of the game, the remake on Steam, and genre classifications.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Chao Cui, the developer behind Kiko's Apple Adventure. Topics include the development of the game, designing a sokoban with movable stages, and the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Corey Martin the developer behind Bonfire Peaks. Topics include the development of Bonfire Peaks and its DLC sequel, Bonfire Peaks Lost Memories, his other work on games like Tire Boy, and puzzles in non-puzzle games.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Dana Trebella, the founder of Spoke & Wheel Strategy. Topics include best practices for how and when to message your game, common marketing pitfalls, and stories of working with the Draknek team.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Lucie Viatgé, the concept artist behind Spooky Express. Topics include the development of Spooky Express, her time at KO-OP, and her relationship with puzzle games.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Joseph Mansfield for his threepeat appearance on the podcast to discuss the Cerebral Puzzle Showcase 2025 and the recently premiered Thinky Direct! This episode has a video version that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/RVNMsXXeatk A copy of each of our shortlist of recommended games, some of which did not get discussed in the episode: Games...

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Zachary Johnson, a developer behind games like Joggernauts and Stage Fright. Zach is also the inspiration for Draknek's next game, Spooky Express - a fact he did not know when the recording started. Topics include an overview of Zach's career, stories from Train Jam, and Zach's hopes for Spooky Express. The Spooky Express demo is live now, so g...

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Luke Spierewka, the developer behind Pup Champs and Railbound. Topics include the development of Afterburn's games, developing games in shorter turnarounds, and lessons learned across multiple successive puzzle games.

In this special episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Lucas Le Slo, a puzzle designer on the newly announced Spooky Express. Topics include the development of Spooky Express and its inception, the project's goals, as well as Lucas' other work on puzzle games such as Lab Rat.

In this episode... Well, sometimes when you set out to create something, it doesn't actually end up looking at all like what your goal was. That statement applies to both this podcast episode as well as The Electrifying Incident. Syrenne and Alan are joined by Ben and Phoenix from the development team and things go off the rails fast as Syrenne re-experiences the intense scope creep and change tha...

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Annika Maar the developer behind Duck Detective. Topics include the development of the game, short development timelines, and making approachable and funny games with deep thinky mechanics.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Gwen Frey the developer behind Lab Rat. Topics include the development of the game and its large scope, Gwen's long career in games, and the state of funding in the industry.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Izzy Kestrel from the Electrifying Incident development team. Topics include the development of TEI, Thinky Games as social experiences, Gex, and A Little Game Called Mario.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Tana Tanoi, the developer behind Shape Sender Deluxe. Topics include the development of Shape Sender Deluxe, the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant, and the difficulties of making a thinky physics puzzle game.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Laure and Kitt from Balloon Studios, the developer behind Botany Manor. Topics include the development of the game, the inspiration for setting the puzzles in a manor, and tricking players into playing puzzle games.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Joseph Mansfield, the manager of ThinkyGames.com. Topics include discussions of thinky games we love, what Joe's been up to, and a long tangent about Bonfire Peaks and The Legend of Zelda series. The vibes on this one are immaculate.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Nic Ford, Jordan Watkins, and Michael Von Korff, the developers behind Bean and Nothingness. Topics include the development of the game, designing complex interactions while balancing the game, and designing puzzle games for hardcore puzzle fans.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Phoenix Stroh from the Electrifying Incident development team. Topics include the development of The Electrifying Incident, working with Godot, and working with your former professor.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Lukas Hort, one of the developers behind Map Map: A Game About Maps. Topics include the development of Map Map: A Game About Maps, how cartography puzzle design intersects with level and world design, and being selected for the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Benjamin Davis, the lead programmer on Draknek's games like A Monster's Expedition, Cosmic Express, A Good Snowman is Hard to Build, and the recently announced The Electrifying Incident. Topics include how Alan and Ben met, what it's like to work with Alan on these games, and details on the newly announced game. Come for the details about the n...

In this bonus episode, YagmanX interviews Draknek! Please note that this interview originally happened in early 2024. You can watch the original video upload here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR9-5FyKJOM

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Andrejs Klavins, one of the developers behind The Case of the Golden Idol and The Rise of the Golden Idol. Topics include the development of the Golden Idol games, balancing narrative and deductive reasoning puzzles, and the process of iterating the game design and UX to create the new standard for detective game design.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Furniture & Mattress, the team behind Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure. Topics include the development of Arranger, designing puzzles and narrative in a world where every step counts, and the challenge of naming games.

In this episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by Alex Diener AKA ThemsAllTook, the developer of Leaf's Odyssey and a puzzle game YouTuber. Topics include the development of Leaf's Odyssey, the running of the YouTube channel, and how playing and covering games intersects with making them.

In this very special episode, hosts Alan and Syrenne are joined by co-hosts Mairi Nolan and Joseph Mansfield to discuss some of their favorite thinky games of 2024. This episode is pretty spoiler-free, so kick back, enjoy, and learn about why we love some of the games that came out last year. Games discussed: No Case Shall Remain Unsolved, Is this Game Trying to Kill Me?, Duck Detective: The Secre...