Indie Game Clinic

The Game Developers' Library

Education EN ↓ 8 episodes

A regular "book-club" style podcast where Joe Baxter-Webb [Indie Game Clinic] chats with a range of guest co-hosts about the books we think game developers should read (or at least know the gist of!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author

Indie Game Clinic

Episodes

Anna Anthropy - Rise of the Videogame Zinesters 18.06.2026 1:39:02

In this episode, Tom and Joe read and respond to Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives Are Taking Back an Art Form. Patreon.com/indiegameclinic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tynan Sylvester - Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences 21.03.2026 1:35:01

In this episode we read Rimworld creator Tynan Sylvester's design textbook. 00:00 intro OVERVIEW 01:34 situating the book in our collection 07:55 signposting cultural politics 10:30 book's structure & approach PHILOSOPHY & PSYCHOLOGY  17:33 engines of experience 20:30 events and anticipation 23:09 emotion and human values 27:50 an interesting take on "flow" INTERESTING AREAS/CHAPTERS...

Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics, The Invisible Art 16.02.2026 1:20:38

In this episode we attempt to verbally describe a comic book. But not just any comic book. Scott McCloud's 1993 "Understanding Comics" is a comic about comics; not necessarily how to make them, but how they "work" for readers. Your librarians Tom and Joe jump about the book in no particular order, picking apart what they personally got from the book, and highlighting areas where we think there's s...

Kim Nordström - UP DOWN UP: Why some game companies succeed, while others fail 09.11.2025 1:10:03

Other Sources Discussed Failing to Fail: The Spiderweb Software Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stxVBJem3Rs&t=2794s Radical Candor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_Candor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Schreier - Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made 07.09.2025 1:28:23

In this episode we discuss Jason Schreier's journalistic account of the creation of a bunch of different games, ranging from huge AAA games like DragonAge: Inquisition, to smaller indie ones like Shovel Knight and Stardew Valley. Game Developers' Library is a regular podcast covering books which may be helpful to people who make games. Tom Hughes is a full-time game developer, and Joe Baxter-Webb...

Jesse Schell - The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses 31.07.2025 1:16:20

In this episode we cover this weighty game design textbook, discussing its stronger and weaker areas, how it can help new developers to understand design and player psychology, and why so many more technically-oriented folks bounce off the book. Host Joe Baxter-Webb is a game design educator and YouTuber. He has previously been the course lead in Game Design at Canterbury Christ Church University,...

Raph Koster - A Theory of Fun For Game Design 26.06.2025 1:16:33

I discuss Raph Koster's game design classic from 2004. Is this a book about craft, or about ethics? The reading list of GDL is here on Bookshop.org https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-game-developers-library-podcast-reading-list? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Derek Yu - Spelunky 18.05.2025 1:15:35

We discuss Spelunky by Derek Yu, which was published by Boss Fight Books in 2016. This episode is hosted by Joe Baxter-Webb (game design educator and host of Indie Game Clinic) and game developer Tom Hughes. The reading list of GDL is here on Bookshop.org https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/the-game-developers-library-podcast-reading-list? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.