From indie developer and publisher Auroch Digital, each series explores our games that are currently in development, giving you insight into how we make titles like Brewmaster, Mars Horizon, The Colonists, Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics, Megaquarium, and Dark Future. We also discuss current topics within the Games Industry itself, like climate change and adapting to remote-working.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
Tuesday Feb 08, 2022
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 talk deep-strategy, and Jess and Matt remark on how incredible a journey it is to be a community member who ends up working on the very game you love.
Show Notes
Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now
Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
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 powerfulĀ giant cybernetic tanks, and Steve Jackson remarks onĀ the journey of bringing Ogre to the LastGameboard, a digital platform that transcends the realm between digital and physical boardgames.Ā
Show Notes
Did Ogre pique your interest? You can purchase it on Steam now
Check out the Last Gameboard too, where we have brought Ogre and our other title, Mars Horizon: Blast Off! to a hybrid digital space.
Be sure to look through Steve Jackson Games' expansive games catalogue too, for anything else you may be interested in playing!
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
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Ā
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
Thursday Jan 27, 2022
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 theyāre used as a storytelling tool to host the conversation around climate change, and talk to Steven about Sumo Groupās Carbon Neutral by 2025 pledge.
Our colours may be orange, but our heart is very much green here at Auroch Digital.Ā
Show Notes
Find out more about each of the people, programmes, and resources mentioned in the show:
- The British Peatland Restoration ProgrammeĀ
- Playing for the Planet
- Ark2030Ā
- Dr Benjamin Abraham and a link to his upcoming book 'Digital Games After Climate Change'Ā
- Sumo group Environmental, Social and Governance ESG | Sumo (sumogroupplc.com)Ā
- UKIE Green Games GuideĀ
- Joshua Aslan (2020) Climate change implications of gaming products and services, DOI: 10.15126/thesis.00853729Ā
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For the games discussed in the episode, why not check out Coconut Sunshine andĀ Dark Future: Blood Red States?
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šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
Tuesday Jan 18, 2022
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 so effective as a product, and enjoyable as player. Recommended (but not essential): your own miniatures to paint as you listen in.
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Show Notes
Please do check out Games Workshop's official site to check out the latest products, including starter kits if you're looking to get into 40K!
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šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Ā
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
Tuesday Jan 11, 2022
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 Matt offers some excellent tips on how to get into video game audio and sound design - this episode really is music to our ears!
Show Notes
For the soundtracks discussed in today's episode:
- Mars Horizon Soundtrack
- Dark Future: Blood Red States SoundtrackĀ
- Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics Soundtrack
Ā For the other excellent videos and features to check out on today's content:
- When Matt met Tom, Red Wasp appear on VGM Awesome
- Dark Future Audio Design ExplainerĀ
- Dark Future OST featured in āWarhammer for Your EarsāĀ
š¼ If you'd like, you can follow more of Matt's compositional work on Spotify
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Wednesday Jan 05, 2022
Today weāre (virtually) opening the doors of the studio and inviting you in to see what workingĀ atĀ Auroch is like now we've adapted to COVID-19. Ever wonderedĀ what a StudioĀ Directorās DayĀ looks like? Or howĀ to manage your own community as a Games Studio?Ā We discuss this and more with our colleagues atĀ Auroch Digital, and explain why we are now a largely remote-working studio.
Show Notes
Did Brewmaster pique your interest? You can Wishlist it on Steam now
Check out our porting work on Megaquarium and The Colonists too, and the mentorship scheme Hannah and Ladell both took part in prior to joining Auroch: Limit Break
Curious to see more of our guests? You can check out their personal socials here:
Peter Willington
Oliwia Janczewska
Hannah Corcoran
Ladell Smith
Ā
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Ā
Ā
Friday Dec 17, 2021
Friday Dec 17, 2021
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
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles: Ā š Mars HorizonĀ and š» Brewmaster
š Follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find our previous Seasons here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Ā
Monday Dec 07, 2020
Monday Dec 07, 2020
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 š Ā MegaquariumĀ andĀ šĀ Mars Horizon
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles:Ā š Ā MegaquariumĀ andĀ šĀ Mars Horizon
š Follow us onĀ Facebook,Ā Twitter, andĀ Instagram
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find all of the Season here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Ā
Monday Nov 30, 2020
Monday Nov 30, 2020
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
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- 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
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For Honor - Medieval Action Melee game
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- Ā 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
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Skyrim - Action RPG, wizards, dragons, classic
Nidhogg - side-scrolling two-player fighting video game, with fencing
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- Fencing vs AI 0.42 -Ā 1.08
- Fencing player vs playerĀ 21.24 - 21.40
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The Witcher 3 - Action RPG - The best one ever
Mordhau - multiplayer medieval fighting PVP game
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- Game intro -Ā 0.00 - 0.30
- Rapier fighting
- Fighting with hammer
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Show notes
- Want to know more? Fran's new podcast By the Sword looks at the modern study of the ancient art of swordplay
- Want to try your hand at sword play in real life? Find a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) club near you
- For our UK listeners By the Sword.net is for HEMA events for women and NBs in the UK run by Fran
- The School of the Sword is Fran's HEMA school so you can learn along with our guest
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles:Ā š Ā MegaquariumĀ andĀ šĀ Mars Horizon
š Follow us onĀ Facebook,Ā Twitter, andĀ Instagram
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find all of the Season here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
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 Managerš¤ 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 Mars, and robots in space, and talk about how we explore this in our game.
Show notes
- Watch our Mars Horizon livestream with PaulĀ
- Watch our 'Games about Mars' panel discussing Space Exploration and gaming
- Follow the UK Space Agency on Twitter
- Buy Mars Horizon
šSign up to our NewsletterĀ to stay up to date with Auroch Digital
š¬ Want to talk to us?Ā Join our Discord
š¹ļø Check out our latest titles:Ā š Ā MegaquariumĀ andĀ šĀ Mars Horizon
š Follow us onĀ Facebook,Ā Twitter, andĀ Instagram
šļø Missed an Episode?Ā Find all of the Season here
āPlease do rate the podcast and spread the word!