The Secret Lives of Games

We're joined by Izzy Kestrel (Funomena, No Goblin, A Good Videogame) and Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games) to discuss VESPER.5; a durational, tile-based exploration game. It's the sixth installment in our yearlong special series exploring the work of Michael Brough: All Systems Brough. This episode: VESPER.5 Next episode: Become a Great Artist 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/ All Systems Brough - A Chat with Michael https://secretlives.games/website/all-systems-brough-a-chat-with-michael VESPER.5 http://mightyvision.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/vesper5.html THE LONGING https://store.steampowered.com/app/893850/THE_LONGING/ Road to the IGF: Michael Brough's VESPER.5 (Article about GDC showcase of VESPER.5) https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/road-to-the-igf-michael-brough-s-i-vesper-5-i- Super Friendship Club VESPER.5 Forum https://web.archive.org/web/20160407200028/http://superfriendshipclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=618 Meaning through repetition (reflection on releasing VESPER.5) https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/08/meaning-through-repetition.html GDC 2013 - Interview with Michael Brough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocqSV6f137M Pippin Barr on VESPER.5 https://web.archive.org/web/20170711093026/http://www.pippinbarr.com/2012/08/14/you-should-play-vesper-5/ Michael Brouge's VESPER.6 by Joel Goodwin https://www.electrondance.com/michael-brouges-vesper-6/ Gardens of Time: Design Problem Solving https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2931 Steve Reich - Section I (Slowed Down 800%) - Ambient / Minimalism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3AMpfdbc7U EXPERIMENT 12 Anthology https://www.geocities.ws/experimenttwelve/ 145: Addressing Memory with Plunderludics https://secretlives.games/145-addressing-memory-with-plunderludics i heard you like videogames https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2366 scarfmemory https://www.smestorp.com/scarfmemory.html Post-Future Vagabond https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2013/11/post-future-vagabond.html Bending the River https://www.metabolicstudio.org/653 The Old Timey Computer Show https://otcs.minuspoint.com/ Inferno by Boards of Canada https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/inferno imagineNATIVE Festival https://imaginenative.org/ STAY SHARP // Rogue Skin Reveal Trailer - VALORANT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1u1kUdDOys Rushing Beat Trilogy https://www.chronocrash.com/forum/threads/rushing-beat-trilogy.5208/ THE GAME DESIGN CHALLENGE: The Thirty-Year Game https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023124/THE-GAME-DESIGN-CHALLENGE-The https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 9 - the Reunion / Reveal! How did The Mole do it? Thanks for listening this season! Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat about the episodes, and more. Links: Thanks Robin for our Mol guessing game website! Tip him here: https://ko-fi.com/rbnvi Every Game in this City podcast (S1, which includes Laura, Jey, Doug) https://soundcloud.com/idlethumbs/sets/every-game-in-this-city Ep 122: Finding Decency in Reality with Gilles De Coster (De Mol) https://secretlives.games/122-finding-decency-in-reality-with-gilles-de-coster-de-mol TSLOG Interview with Wouter Verstichel https://secretlives.games/eggplant-tv-plays-de-mol-2025-season-interview-with-wouter-verstichel TSLOG (formerly "Eggplant") De Mol 2024 recap series https://www.patreon.com/tslog https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're joined by Michael Brough himself for a bonus chat on the thrilling occasion of 868-BACK's release day. Don't worry, we don't spoil the new game at all (except to say it's fantastic! Go buy it now on Steam!!) We discuss Michael's journey to this launch day, how his process for making art has and hasn't changed over the years, how he's learned to care for himself creatively and otherwise amidst periods of illness, how he does (and doesn't) draw connections between artistic mediums, and his impressions of our series so far, among other reflections from his development career. This (bonus) episode: A Chat with Michael! Next episode: VESPER.5 Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: 868-BACK (Out now!! Just go buy it!!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/3304110/868BACK/ Michael Brough's Website https://www.smestorp.com/ Quinns Quest Reviews: Stonetop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH5-uQj4uOA Forbidden Solitaire https://greyaliengames.com/forbiddensolitaire/index.php Titanium Court https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Titanium_Court/ Amberspire https://store.steampowered.com/app/3350750/Amberspire/ https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 8 - the Finale! The Mole is finally unmasked. That's about it for tourist season in Portgual (though big wave season starts around November!) but we'll be back next week for the Ep 9 reunion in Belgium. Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat about the episodes, and to play a Mol guessing game with us. Links: Thanks Robin for our Mol guessing game website! Tip him here: https://ko-fi.com/rbnvi Ep 122: Finding Decency in Reality with Gilles De Coster (De Mol) https://secretlives.games/122-finding-decency-in-reality-with-gilles-de-coster-de-mol TSLOG Interview with Wouter Verstichel https://secretlives.games/eggplant-tv-plays-de-mol-2025-season-interview-with-wouter-verstichel TSLOG (formerly "Eggplant") De Mol 2024 recap series https://www.patreon.com/tslog https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug recap Episode 7. Who is the Mole, and how does this elimination echo last season's Final Four? Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat about the episodes, and to play a Mol guessing game with us. Links: Danny Hawk - Folk Games, Flash Communities and Tiktok https://newrules.website/2021/01/12/danny-hawk-folk-games-flash-communities-and-tiktok/ Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH3giaIzONA Ep 122: Finding Decency in Reality with Gilles De Coster (De Mol) https://secretlives.games/122-finding-decency-in-reality-with-gilles-de-coster-de-mol TSLOG Interview with Wouter Verstichel https://secretlives.games/eggplant-tv-plays-de-mol-2025-season-interview-with-wouter-verstichel TSLOG (formerly "Eggplant") De Mol 2024 recap series https://www.patreon.com/tslog https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog