The Panic Mode Podcast

It’s been a strange time for games and the games industry. This week we talk about where we see game design going moving forward and discuss the future of The Panic Mode Podcast. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: The Future of Panic Mode: https://www.panicmode.net/articles/the-future-of-panic-mode Game Theory - Video Games Will Never be the...

This week we welcome narrative designer Katarina Gyllenbäck to share her expertise on how cognitive-based story creation can be used to create meaningful and engaging interactive experiences. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Katarina Gyllenbäck: katarinagyllenback.com twitter.com/gyllenback

Chris Wood returns to the show to share his insights on blockchain in game design. And yes, it does in fact have more applications than just safer microtransactions :0 Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Chris Wood: twitter.com/ChrisWood1821 Millennials in China Podcast: www.millennialsinchina.com Blockchain Narrative Paper: https://bit.ly/3i3ksxG Extra...

This week we welcome Scott Hebert to the show to share his insights on gamification in education. Scott is a teacher, author, and an intrepid pioneer committed to reimagining teaching in the 21st Century. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Scott Hebert: www.mrhebert.org twitter.com/MrHebertPE facebook.com/thegamificationguy youtube.com/masterheebs Scott...

For our last show of the year, we take a look back at what 2020 will be remembered for in game design and development, as well as a recap of the Game Awards. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Mark Brown - How Accessible Were This Year’s Games? https://youtu.be/RWQcuBigOj0 Kotaku - The Secret To The Success Of Hades: https://bit.ly/2WA8TE4 Playstation 9...

With video games reaching photorealistic levels of graphical fidelity, the way we think about realism in game design is beginning to change. This week, Aidan goes over his heuristics on designing for realism in video games. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode YouTube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: WIRED - The New 'Demon's Souls' Remake Tries Too Hard to Be Realistic: https://bit.ly/3qtwRyH WIRED...

Mobile games dominate the modern industry landscape. This week we explore the technologies that have powered or continue to power the genre, as well as the games that have come to define it. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Youtube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Wired: - How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry: https://bit.ly/3kM8t7q BBC - Japan leads mobile game...

Designing games for speedrunning is something of a novelty. But as we discuss this week on the show, it’s well worth considering. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Youtube: tinyurl.com/panicmode Show Notes: Panic Mode - Learning to Speedrun Ghostrunner - Episode 1: https://youtu.be/kg62o0a8A48 Snoman Gaming - Good Game Design - Speedrunning: https://youtu.be/AecPaV5GBIk Gamasutra - 6 ways to...

This week we take a look at the oft discussed topic of mental health in game development, and how we can prevent/treat mental health issues both for ourselves and teammates. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Crevoshay et al. - State of the Industry 2019: Mental Health in the Game Industry: https://bit.ly/3024z2y Gamasutra - Crunch can put devs at odds with their own mental...

Mental health and games are closely intertwined areas - whether it’s playing games to cope, or the depiction of mental health in those games. This week we take a look at this relationship as well as what designers can learn from it. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Gamasutra - 97% of gamers say playing games benefits their mental health: https://bit.ly/32UMpl6 Low Batteries - a series...

This week on the show we take a deep dive into the practices and challenges commonly associated with designing open world games. Turns out it’s a fairly open-ended topic (ayyye) Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Richard Moss - Roam free: A history of open-world gaming: https://bit.ly/3il2ciH Gamemaker’s Toolkit - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided's Amazing Open...

This week we discuss why educational games may be the future of classroom learning. And no, we don’t mean those games your teacher used to make you play at www.coolmathgames.com. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Extra Credits - Games in Education: https://youtu.be/1HTS2nxpRqM André Thomas - The Effective Use of Game-Based Learning in Education: https://youtu.be/-X1m7tf9cRQ

This week we take a somber look at how we as gamers relate to not only the games we play, but also the people who made them. This is Death of the Game Designer. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Ambient by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 Show Notes: Jason Schrieir on Assassin Creed’s Female...

Euro games are a rising genre in board games, but… what exactly are they? And what the hell is Ameritrash? And why does gaming academia continue to force its cruel taxonomies on everything? Worry not, Panic Mode is on the case. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes Lewis Pulsipher - The Essence of Euro-style Games: https://bit.ly/3jlPlh2 Start Your Meeples - On Defining...

Asymmetry carries a lot of pros and cons when implemented in games. This week we dive into what asymmetry is, what it’s good for, and how to effectively design asymmetric games. Check out our Facebook and Twitter pages to enter our Titanfall 2 Giveaway! Entries close 11:59pm MST on July 17, 2020. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode SHUX Panel - Making Asymmetric...

This week we talk to Rishi Barnwal from On Thin Ice Games about race in video games, and what we can do to be conscious of it as game designers. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Rishi Barnwal: twitter.com/TheRishiBarnwal On Thin Ice Games: twitter.com/OnThinIceGames Allan G. Johnson - Privilege, Power, and Difference: https://bit.ly/2B0lGbI Spider-Man: India: https://bit.ly/2Ynh4FA

Evergreen games are a growing presence in the gaming industry. This week we take a deep dive into what they are, where they came from, and the hottest of takes on where they are going. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: How games as a service are changing the way we play: https://win.gs/3gguTg3 GDC Talk - Emerging Trends In Games as a Service: https://bit.ly/2Ty3Lzb Rise of the...

Visual novels have a (relatively) long and unusual history. This week we get into what visual novels are, where they came from, and why you should probably be making them. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: twitter.com/panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Wired - A Brief History of Porn on the Internet: https://bit.ly/3bjb9EO Get in the Robot - What Are Visual Novels, and Why Are They a...

Scope is important to any project, and doubly so ina field as complex as game development. This week we delve into the practices and consequences of scoping in games. Website: panicmode.net Twitter: @panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Extra Credits - Minimum Viable Product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvCri1tqIxQ Evolution of Overwatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBFrwRXUV-g

This week we welcome Pixelmatic’s Director of Art, Wayne Wong-Chong, to talk about everything art in games. And also about our quarantine beards! Website: panicmode.net Twitter: @panicmodedotnet Facebook: fb.me/panicmodedotnet Medium: medium.com/panicmode Show Notes: Wayne Wong-Chong: twitter.com/WayneWongChong WatchMojo - Top 10 Video Game Concept Artists https://youtu.be/jKH4FO0UT-c