All episodes
TMNT, GoldenEye and Netflix: Gameplay Newsletter 03
June 24, 2022
Motorways, feelings and football: Gameplay Newsletter 02
June 10, 2022
Geese and dumplings: Gameplay Newsletter 01
May 20, 2022
Firewatch
In 2016, indie studio Campo Santo released their debut title, the narrative adventure game Firewatch. Set in a national forest in the Wyoming wilderness, you play as a fire lookout named Henry. The game beautifully portrays the isolation of the wild, and Henry’s only source of human connection is
February 03, 2022
The Matrix Online
The Matrix is one of the biggest franchises in the world, with its universe spanning across film, animation, comics and video games. In 2005, more than a year after the original film trilogy concluded, The Matrix Online promised a new experience for players. The MMORPG was designated as the official
December 23, 2021
Blind Gaming
In the past, video games were largely inaccessible to people with visual impairments. But these days, game makers are adding all kinds of innovative options to make their games more accessible. And some developers are creating entire virtual worlds using nothing but sound. Featuring streamer & game consultant Steve Saylor
December 09, 2021
Animal Crossing: New Harmonies
Animal Crossing is one of the most beloved Nintendo franchises. The social simulator game is all about living your best life, and fans love the series for its colourful, cute art style and relaxed vibe. Central to the game’s success are its extensive customisation options and social features. But
November 25, 2021
Golf Club: Wasteland
Human life is wiped out. Earth is now a golf course for the ultra-rich. That’s the premise for Golf Club: Wasteland, a 2D puzzle-like golf game from Demagog Studio - but there’s so much more beneath the surface. The game’s layered approach to storytelling and detailed worldbuilding
November 11, 2021
Stealth Gaming
If you were a high school student in the 90s or early 2000s, you were likely required to have a graphing calculator for math class. It was probably made by Texas Instruments and your parents complained that it cost too much. But these calculators, like the TI-83 model, were capable
October 28, 2021
The Gardens Between
In 2018, Australian studio The Voxel Agents released their fifth title, The Gardens Between, an adventure-puzzle game about memories, friendship and time. Combining a unique time manipulation mechanic with a heartfelt personal story, the game offers a satisfying and relatable experience about growing up, for players of all ages. In
September 30, 2021
Speedrun Science
For over 30 years, people have been in pursuit of the perfect run in Super Mario Bros. That is, completing the game in the fastest time possible, also known as a speedrun. Now in 2021, the current world record holder may have reached the human limit, coming within milliseconds of
September 16, 2021
Esports
Competitive gaming tournaments have been around about as long as video games themselves. With the rise of professional esports in the 2000s, it was only a matter of time before esports made its way into universities. Now, colleges across the United States are embracing games and competition, offering their own
September 02, 2021
Honk!
It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose. That’s the premise of the indie hit Untitled Goose Game [http://goose.game/], a comedy/stealth/puzzle hybrid, developed by House House [https://househou.se/], and released in 2019. You play as a mischievous goose,
August 19, 2021
Becoming Master Chief
For 20 years, Steve Downes has portrayed Master Chief, appearing in each mainline game of the Halo series to date. In this episode, Steve shares the story of his time voicing John-117, from Combat Evolved to Halo Infinite. Downes details his process to get into character, drawing on the Halo
August 05, 2021
Final Symphony
Music plays an important role in many games, and even in the early days, the best composers were able to create incredibly expressive music, despite technical limitations. Dragon Quest composer, Koichi Sugiyama is known as the pioneer of orchestral music for RPGs, and in 1987 he staged the very first
July 22, 2021
Chiptune
How do you turn a Nintendo Game Boy into a musical instrument? 8-bit music is one of the most defining characteristics of gaming’s golden age of the 1970s and 80s. The sound chips in early arcade machines and home consoles had their limitations, but they gave the music a
July 08, 2021
Mind Games
For all the negative coverage and misrepresentation that video games receive, the reality is very different. For most of us, games are a hugely positive influence on our lives, particularly for our mental health and wellbeing. This episode, we dispel the myths around the psychology of games, and we hear
June 24, 2021
Photo Mode
Image credit: Megan Reims [https://www.instagram.com/midnight.hyp3] / Ubisoft Montréal ™ (Assassin's Creed: Valhalla) Do you ever have moments when you’re playing a game that is so visually stunning, you feel compelled to capture it? You might take a quick screenshot, or use a built-in camera
June 10, 2021
Super Rare Games: giving life to indie games, beyond the digital marketplace
June 03, 2021
Augment Your Reality
In 2016, Pokémon GO was a global phenomenon. Millions of players around the world lived out their fantasies of being a Pokémon Trainer, venturing into the real world to find and collect their favourite Pokémon. The game was a huge financial success, but it was also a groundbreaking moment for
May 27, 2021
FMOD Studio: powering game audio
May 20, 2021
Play & Preserve
A whole generation of games are at risk of being lost forever. Physical media like floppy disks and optical discs have a limited lifespan, and their time is running out. The growing trend of digital games too, many of which don’t exist in any physical format, are also under
May 13, 2021
Games in Print: reviving the golden age of gaming magazines
May 06, 2021
Good Game
In 2006 the ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, debuted Good Game, a brand new TV show about video games - for gamers, by gamers. The program came about at the perfect time; when people still watched appointment free-to-air television, and before the explosion of YouTube and Twitch. Remaining on air
April 29, 2021
The Afro Hair Library
Computer-generated imagery and the algorithms that drive them are the technological breakthroughs that have seen our world recreated in digital form. But when it comes to representing humans, these advancements have predominantly refined the depictions white people. Across games and digital media, the standard models for rendering features like skin
April 15, 2021
Kinder World: practicing kindness through games
April 08, 2021
Boomshakalaka!
NBA Jam is a memorable arcade game for many reasons, but the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of its fans is the game’s announcer, for iconic lines like “HE’S ON FIRE!”, and “BOOMSHAKALAKA!”. In this episode, we meet Tim Kitzrow, the voice behind the
April 01, 2021
SNES Controller: A timeless classic, now without wires.
March 25, 2021
NBA Jam
In 1993, Midway released the game-changing arcade basketball title, NBA Jam. At the height of Michael Jordan mania and the NBA’s rise to global popularity, Jam was a defining sports game of the era. In this episode, lead designer Mark Turmell, along with author Reyan Ali and other Midway
March 18, 2021
Culture, Remixed
Video games are not just for entertainment. They can also be a powerful tool for education, especially when combined with immersive technologies like virtual reality. Experiential learning is at the core of many indigenous cultures, including Torres Strait Islanders, which led Rhett Loban to create a one-of-a-kind VR game that
February 18, 2021
Remaking Metroid
Milton Guasti had spent 10 years of his life recreating Metroid II, until Nintendo claimed copyright infringement, merely a day after its release. There was always a chance that the lawyers would come knocking, but what Milton didn’t expect was for his hobby project to become the game that
February 04, 2021
Autcraft
Minecraft is one of the highest selling games of all time, and the blocky, 8-bit sandbox is especially popular with kids, due to the freedom its gameplay offers. But for children with Autism, that freedom is often challenged when playing online, where bullies and trolls are a barrier in their
January 07, 2021
The Sound of Hades
Hades is the fourth title from Supergiant Games, and one the best games of 2020. A rogue-like dungeon crawler, inspired by Greek mythology, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, as you attempt to escape the Underworld, fighting your way through waves of enemies. The game posed a unique
December 24, 2020
Ring Fit Adventure
For as long as video games have been criticised for their sedentary nature, developers have sought to get players off the couch, encouraging physical movement through fitness style games. From the Power Pad to Wii Fit, Nintendo have been a leader in 'exergaming', but these experiences often feel
December 10, 2020
Addiction
For most of us, games are a fun hobby. But for some people, they can be genuinely problematic. Cam Adair struggled with gaming addiction for ten years, until he hit rock bottom. Now he's working to ensure compassion and support is available for others like him, in a
November 26, 2020
Red Ring of Death
When the Xbox 360 was launched in December 2005, Microsoft had accomplished a significant objective that would give it the edge in the console war - beating Sony's PS3 to market by almost a year. But a few months later, a huge problem began to surface - a
November 12, 2020
Premium vs Freemium
In the span of around 12 months, the release of the very first iPhone and the launch of the App Store created a whole new appetite for mobile games, empowering a generation of indie developers in the process. But one small decision, to support in-app purchases for iOS games, would
October 29, 2020
The Real You
Video games allow us to embody different people and inhabit other worlds. But when you can't be your true self in the real world, exploring virtual ones takes on even greater importance. For transgender people, like Jessica Janiuk, games are a safe space for escapism and discovery, and
October 15, 2020
Up, Down, Left, Right
Which game controller is your favourite? Which gamepad is the worst? You probably already know your answer to both of these questions. It’s a very personal thing, because controllers are central to our overall playing experience. And yet, designers are tasked with creating a controller that needs to appeal
October 01, 2020
Introducing Gameplay
Introducing Gameplay, a podcast about video games and the virtual worlds that power culture and community.
September 14, 2020