How To Make A Game, With Auroch Digital

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

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 of Non-Violent Game Of The Day and UK Editor of GamesIndustry.biz, joins Jem, Matt, and Peter for a joy-filled discussion about all of this and more. Show notes NVGOTD on tumblr NVGOTD on Twitter James Batchelor at GamesIndustry.biz James Batchelor on Twitter Check out our own non-violent games

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 episode Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord - Medieval Combat Simulator & RPG Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30 Tournament fight - 3.00 - 4.21 Siege fight using spear, throwing weapons, and sword - 13.19 - 14.30 For Honor - Medieval Action Melee game  Intro to the game - 0.00 - 0.30 Two handed sword fight vs AI 1.53 - 2.12 Fight vs other player 0.50 - 1.25 Skyrim - Action RPG, wizards, dragons, classic Sword and shield combat 2 handed sword and then 2 handed axe combat  10.35 - 11.00 Nidhogg - side-scrolling two-player fighting video game, with fencing Fencing vs AI 0.42 -  1.08 Fencing pl

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

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 us get to Mars. We also discuss how you can interact with other space agencies in Mars Horizon and how we show their collaborative, and sometimes competitive, relationships in our game. Show notes Watch Dr. Alice Bunns TED talk on diplomacy in space Global Space Congress: An Interview with Dr. Alice Bunn Follow the UK Space Agency on Twitter Pre-order and Wishlist Mars Horizon

It's the first episode of our 3 part Mars Horizon special with 3 amazing guests from the UK Space Agency! Jem, Matt, and Tom are joined this week by Libby Jackson, Human Exploration Programme Manager at UK Space Agency. We delve into the real jobs at space agencies that informed the making of Mars Horizon. Libby shares her experiences with us including shadowing a flight director at NASA Johnson Space Centre, talking about what its like working in Mission Control during a launch, and what its like working with Tim Peake! She also rates the accuracy of Mars Horizon, and shares her advice about a career in space

Have you ever wanted to be a streamer? Or wondered what it is like doing it as your job? Want some great tips to get started? We're here to help! In this episode of the Auroch Digital podcast Jem and Matt are joined by streamers Grimsevers and Sizzsarz to talk about all things streaming! They share their expertise and experiences, as well as loads of great tips about building communities, finding your voice, and the best equipment to use. Show notes Sizzsarz Twitch Sizzsarz Twitter Grimsevers Twitch Grimsevers Twitter

Season 6 gets off to a great start with our preview of the first ever Steam Digital Tabletop Fest! Auroch Digital  will celebrate games that cross between physical and digital, will make its debut October 21st thru 26th. Hosts Matt and Jem are joined by CEO Tomas Rawlings and the newest member of the marketing team Allie to talk about their work in setting up this awesome event. Hear about the exciting panels and talks we've got planned, the benefits of a digital event like this, and how you go about organising something this epic! We also hear from some of the participants of the festival, including: Asmodee, Grey Alien Games, and Precinct Omega. They tell us why they are taking part and what it means to them.    Show notes Digital Tabletop Fest hub Digital Tabletop Fest Steam announcement Asmodee Digital Precinct Omega Grey Alien Games

Marketing and community manager Jemima Crow is joined by Peter and Matt to talk about animal simulation in games. They start by looking at how breeding and caring for animals translates to game design. They then focus on how animal behaviour affects player interaction and the future of animal simulation. Please rate the podcast and spread the word! Show notes Video games are creating smarter animals Survival Game About Genetics Is Cute But Cruel Planet Zoo will feature “the most realistic animals in any game” Video games offer clues to help curb animal disease outbreaks Ecosystem on Steam

We had some extra special guests in this bonus podcast episode - The Oliver twins! Mike, Jem, and Matt chat to the creators of Dizzy and games industry legends who are the most Prolific 8-bit videogame developers ever! Tune in to hear behind the scenes development stories and to get advice about starting your own career in gaming. Please note, this episode was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Auroch Digital team is all working from home to save lives, as are the Oliver Twins. Show notes Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy - 1991 Guinness world records Oliver twins official site

In the beginning there was a monitor. A monitor with a black screen. Then, someone made some specs of light and behold - a starfield. From there Space games have gone from strength to strength. In this episode Producer and QA manager Mike Daw takes Matt and Jem on a tour of some of the most important Space games that have been made - including suggestions from the Auroch Digital Discord! Show notes SpaceWar (play online) Space Invaders – 30th Anniversary Developer Interview

Producer and QA manager Mike Daw joins Jem and Matt with an update for Auroch Digital's current game in development Mars Horizon! Find out how the game has changed following the alpha and get some teasers about all the awesome stuff that's coming up. This was recorded before we announced our publisher and the beta. The beta is live right now and you can join in by signing up here: Mars Horizon beta Sign ups close May 1st 4pm BST, and the beta ends May 4th 9am GMT. Show notes Make sure to wishlist Mars horizon! Mars Horizon: BLAST OFF! find out more about the game and grab yourself a copy! Hear more about what it's like working for a Space agency in this podcast episode with special guest Andrew Kuh of the UK Space Agency

Using the live-action Ghostbusters movies as leverage, Jem and Matt are joined by Creative Producer Peter Willington to chat and tour through the many Ghostbusters video games that have graced gaming systems since 1984 - from first game, to VR, to 2019’s ‘remaster’ of the 2009 AAA release. All in the runup to 2020’s ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’. Show notes Ghostbusters 2020 teaser Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer 1 Ghostheads Kickstarter Documentary Ghostbusters: The Video Game Ghostbusters in Ad campaigns - QuickBooks - Halifax Interdimensional Crossrip IDW Comics Series’

What is a typical day at a game development studio like? It's busy, hectic, but lots of fun. In this weeks episode you can find out what a day in the life of Auroch Digital is like as we work together to make games. Please note, this episode was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our daily lives are currently very different from this, but we are still working hard to make great games. The Auroch Digital team is all staying home to save lives but we hope we can get back to this one day❤️ Show notes Want to get into the games industry? Check out our blog post with tips and advice to help you. Check out our store, we currently have some items on sale!  If this is of interest, also check out past episodes; ‘What is it like working for an independent developer?’ (S1 E3) and ‘Setting up a company and a history lesson’ (S1 E1)

Auroch Digital CEO Tomas Rawlings joins Jem and Matt to talk about some of the games that Games Workshop made that were not Warhammer titles and how we came to turn some of those into video games. Show notes Get Chainsaw Warrrior t-shirt Grab our non-Warhammer titles in The Totally Radical Auroch Digital 80s Gaming Bundle Tomas's letter from Games Workshop (in 1989) Grognard Files Talisman

In this magical episode Marketing and community manager Jemima Crow leads the way, joined by Pete and Matt, to chat about video game adaptations featuring the world of Harry Potter. They look at how the many Harry Potter games both do justice to and fail their source material.  Show notes Minecraft School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Gameplay Trailer  Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ Is The Best Live-Action Video Game Adaptation Ever Harry Potter open-world RPG leak  Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 interview: ‘We made dark films fun’  PS1 Hagrid 

Auroch Digital CEO Tomas Rawlings and Creative producer Peter Willington join Jem and Matt to chat about democracy in gaming - both as a topic games are made about and as a thing within a game system itself. Vote with your ears and have a listen! Show notes Get our card game, Elections, on sale! & Vote Cthulhu!  Democracy 3 Greek Debt Crisis  Brenda Romero’s 2013 talk at Games for Change Tomas’s talk at TEDx Houses of Parliament, 2013 on games and democracy.

Episode 5 and the last episode in Season 4! Hosts Matt Davies (Marketing and Community Manager) and Matthew Walker (Sound Designer) talk with Design Director Tomas Rawlings on the brief history of Cthulhu games. Where they came from and how they've developed over the years. This will also be host Matt Davies last episode #sadface However, fear not we'll be back with a brand new season in the near future! So make sure you've filled in our survey and got your thoughts down on where we go next! Show notes

Episode 4 continues our adventure across the galaxy! Hosts Matt Davies (Marketing and Community Manager) and Matthew Walker (Sound Designer) talk about the visit Auroch Digital made to ESA as well as talking. To the Designer on Mars Horizon - Matt Bone. Find out about the challenges involved in getting the gameplay just right and how to balance the reality and complexity of space travel with game design - all while keeping it authentic!  Show notes

Episode 3 and this one is out of this world! In the fourth season of How to Make a Video Game with Auroch Digital hosts Matt Davies (Marketing and Community Manager) and Matthew Walker (Sound Designer) talk about the visit Auroch Digital made to ESA to show off Mars Horizon to ACTUAL rocket engineers and scientists with Design Director Tomas Rawlings.  We also have some great interviews with the staff of ESA and their thoughts on running a space agency and the challenge of converting that into a video game. Show notes