The Secret Lives of Games

We're joined by Nicole He (The Crush House, Kinlo Labs), Eddy Boxerman (Osmos, Karmaka, Broken Rules), and Noah Sasso (Sportsfriends, Iron Galaxy Studios) to discuss Imbroglio, a deck-building, grid-based, genre-defining brough-like. It's the ninth installment in our yearlong special series exploring the work of Michael Brough: All Systems Brough. Next episode: Cinco Paus Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: Imbroglio https://apps.apple.com/us/app/imbroglio/id969264934 868-BACK (Out now!! Go buy it!!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/3304110/868BACK/ https://finji.itch.io/868-back Michael Brough's Website https://www.smestorp.com/ Michael Brough's Blog https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/ September 9th, 2026 Imbroglio Notes 14 blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2020/06/imbroglio-notes-14-mizzenmast.html Imbroglio release blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/05/imbroglio.html Imbroglio Notes 6 blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/08/imbroglio-notes-6-meditation.html Guxt https://www.cavestory.one/pixels-works/guxt.php Igbo Calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igbo_calendar Everyday Shooter https://store.steampowered.com/app/16300/Everyday_Shooter/ Imbroglio Notes 8 blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/08/imbroglio-notes-8-score-o.html Vivafringe Guide to Imbroglio Boardbuilding https://vivafringe.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/a-guide-to-imbroglio-boardbuilding/ Vivafringe Izu Mode blog post https://vivafringe.wordpress.com/2017/02/21/imbroglios-izu-mode-is-the-way-forward-for-deckbuilding/ Vivafringe Izu Mode YouTube videos https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVkyA1oDHBa_PGysiUQ_kGaCorynP21O9 Noah's Bandcamp https://octopusinc.bandcamp.com/album/also-the-remixes Kinlo Labs (join their waitlist!) https://playkinlo.com/ I'm So Happy You're Here – I Can't Meditate! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ9ZwePF3_ms&si=jALBpOdXrprPI8Z_ Baba Is You: The Board Game & Party House: The Deckbuilding Game Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bitewinggamesnick/baba-is-you-the-board-game Imbroglio in-progress blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/03/still-working-on-imbroglio-this-is.html Imbroglio Notes 1 blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/05/imbroglio-notes-1-inventory-management.htm Imbroglio Notes 3 blog post https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2016/06/imbroglio-notes-3-monsters.html https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We chat with Mark Essen (Nidhogg, Wheel World) about his "feverish bullet heaven platformer" Blood Dungeon. We discuss making a small game in the shadow of a bigger project, the constraints it takes to do it sanely, and building on the foundations of a nascent genre. Discussed in this episode: Messhof https://messhof.com Blood Dungeon https://messhof.com/blooddungeon exp. zine - Vampire Survivors https://expzine.com/2026/07/21/vampire-survivors-poncle-2022/ Death to the Self-Playing Game https://www.jank.cool/death-to-the-self-playing-game/?ref=aftermath.site Messhof Marchive https://messhof.com/freeware https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're joined by v buckenham (Downpour, Beasts of Balance), Izzy Kestrel (Electrifying Incident, A Little Game Called Mario), and Bennett Foddy (Baby Steps, QWOP, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy) to discuss Helix, a spiral-action shmuplike about staying alive. It's the eighth installment in our yearlong special series exploring the work of Michael Brough: All Systems Brough. Next episode: Imbroglio Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: Helix https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/helix/id562550427 868-BACK (Out now!! Go buy it!!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/3304110/868BACK/ https://finji.itch.io/868-back Michael Brough's Website https://www.smestorp.com/ Maypole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maypole Game Design Deep Dive: The unique touchscreen action game controls of Helix https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/game-design-deep-dive-the-unique-touchscreen-action-game-controls-of-i-helix-i- Bit Pilot http://www.bitpilotgame.com/ Tilt to Live https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tilt-to-live-hd/id391837930 Super Hexagon https://superhexagon.com/ Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved remake https://store.steampowered.com/app/8400/Geometry_Wars_Retro_Evolved/ Endings (Michael's 2015 blog) https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2015/01/endings.html Playdate https://play.date/ Nex Playground https://www.nexplayground.com/ Hylics https://mason-lindroth.itch.io/hylics Vangers https://www.gog.com/en/game/vangers Tools for Creativity class (virtual) with v buckenham https://sfpc.study/sessions/fall-26/tools-for-creativity School for Poetic Computation https://sfpc.study/ bimbo static site generator https://iznaut.itch.io/bimbo https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We chat with Brooke Husic (Puzzmo, New Yorker, A24) about creating, stewarding, and showrunning a daily crossword for the web-based puzzle phenomenon, Puzzmo. Our discussion covers Puzzmo's first 1,000 days, Brooke's prolific career as a constructor, the impact of cultural biases on crosswords, the early-2020s indie-puzzle development boom, the need to care for both solvers and setters during revisions, the interconnectedness of difficulty and context, the relationship between constructor and venue, and so! much! more! Also: Don't forget to check out today's Puzzmo midi crossword, its 1,001th, a special collaboration between two names that will be familiar to listeners of this episode. Audio edited by Dylan Shumway Discussed in this episode: Puzzmo https://www.puzzmo.com/today/ Today's Brooke and Rob collab puzzle, "Time to get up!" https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2026-07-12/crossword Puzzmo Data Initiative https://data.puzzmo.com/ Brooke's 30-day Crossword Tutorial Mini-series https://www.brookehusic.com/puzzminis/ Brooke's puzzle blog https://xwordsbyaladee.blogspot.com/ Rob's Puzzmo crossword debut, "Baker's Corner" https://www.puzzmo.com/puzzle/2024-05-10/crossword Lollapuzzoola https://bemoresmarter.com/ American Values Club (AVCX) https://avxwords.com/about-us/ Ingrid https://ingrid.cx/ Brooke on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/xws.bsky.social https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're joined by Liz Ryerson (musician, writer, podcaster), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Andi McClure (BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS, Jumpman) to discuss BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS; a generative art game/tool made in 72 hours. It's the seventh installment in our yearlong special series exploring the work of Michael Brough: All Systems Brough. This episode: BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS Next episode: Helix Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: 868-BACK (Out now!! Go buy it!!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/3304110/868BACK/ https://finji.itch.io/868-back Michael Brough's Website https://www.smestorp.com/ BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS (stable itch.io release!) https://mermaidindustries.itch.io/become-a-great-artist-in-just-10-seconds BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS (web build) https://dryad.technology/artist/ BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS (original Ludum Dare entry) https://web.archive.org/web/20160616205009/http://ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-27/?action=preview&uid=4987 SUPERHYPERCUBE https://superhypercube.com/ KidPix (public domain version) https://kidpix.app/ Increpare games (Stephen Lavelle) https://www.increpare.com/ Game Title https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2258 Andi McClure's Anti-games/Sweet Nothings https://runhello.com/anti-games A MAZE. / Berlin 2022: Ambient Play Systems (In and Outside of Games) by Flan Falacci https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRDPXMhwkXc Great Art by Liz Ryerson https://www.mostancient.com/shop/great-art Making another roguelike game (yay/boo) by Michael Brough https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2015/06/making-another-roguelike-game-yayboo-my.html Become a First Rate Artist in Just 30 Seconds https://eliot-l.itch.io/become-a-first-rate-artist-in-just-30-seconds FUCK MARIO by Liz Ryerson https://ellaguro.blogspot.com/2014/03/fuck-mario.html Platform Games Catalog by Patrick LeMieux (including Fucked Marios) https://patrick-lemieux.com/LeMieux-Platform_Games.pdf BECOME A GREAT ARTIST IN JUST 10 SECONDS AND KNUCKLES https://twitter.runhello.com/mcclure111/status/576896540565901312/ BECOME A GREAT ARTIST dress https://twitter.runhello.com/mcclure111/status/573172507773026304/ BECOME A GREAT ARTIST GitHub https://github.com/mcclure/bitbucket-backup/tree/archive/repos/ufo/contents Saint Elizabeth (Liz's new album!) https://ellaguro.bandcamp.com/album/saint-elizabeth Notes from the Underground by Liz Ryerson https://ellaguro.blogspot.com/2026/06/notes-from-underground.html ArtCtrl painting palette interface for BECOME A GREAT ARTIST https://vimeo.com/1080330014/fa8866803f MOSS (programmable brush-based art tool by Rob's studio) https://moss.town/ Icosa https://data.runhello.com/j/iso/post/ Andi's Game Catalog https://runhello.com/ Scrunch (Andi's Ludum Dare 30 art tool/game) https://web.archive.org/web/20150221165706/http://www.ludumdare.com/compo/ludum-dare-30/?uid=4987 The Zium (virtual museum collective) https://theziumsociety.itch.io/ https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog