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What does it feel like to land your dream job working on the follow-up to a game that blew your mind? This is exactly what happened to Jonathan Zimmerman when he landed a writing gig on Life Is Strange: Before The Storm. What followed was a near-decade-long relationship with this beloved franchise, alongside his work as Narrative Director for The Expanse: A Telltale Series.

Among the many influences Jonathan references, we discuss Until Dawn, King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, The Seventh Guest, Myst, Portal, and What Remains of Edith Finch. We also talk about the fantastic Dispatch, and Jonathan's take on the pros and cons of people comparing the Life Is Strange series to the recently released Mixtape.

Jonathan has an incredible passion for his craft, and it's always a pleasure when a guest is so open about the unique experiences, challenges, and successes that come with working in the industry. Beyond his role as a creator, Jonathan is a dedicated player at heart, and we dive into what it means to bring something into the world that you yourself would want to play.

I am a long-time superfan of the Life is Strange series, so it was a real privilege to dig into it with him.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

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In today’s episode of The Examined Game I talk with co-founder of Inkle Studios (80 Days, TR-49, Heaven’s Vault, Overboard, A Highland Song, Expelled, Sorcery) Joseph Humfrey. This interview is a counterpart to my chat with Jon Ingold, the other co-founder of Inkle.

I talked with Joseph about what it takes to make a video game company sustainable in this day and age, and their approach to efficient game design, narrative design, branching narrative, not over extending and the joy of reaching new audiences with adventure games.

I loved hearing about the inner workings of a video game company, and the risk that Joseph and Jon took in founding Inkle. They are both very thoughtful in their approach not just to the type of games they make but how they go about making them. It’s no surprise when talking with them that they have been able to build such a robust and sustainable company.

We go into the influence of games such as Monkey Island, Sierra adventure games, David Cage’s Fahrenheit, Halo, the early Bungie games, HyperCard, and how Joseph got into game design on his family Mac. We also discuss Inkle's narrative scripting language Ink, Steam Deck game design, and the development of games such as Sorcery, 80 Days, Heaven’s Vault, A Highland Song and TR-49.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode of The Examined Game, I am talking with the creator of Outer Wilds, Alex Beachum.

We get into the weeds of how the original prototype of the game came about back when Alex was studying game design, his approach to development, including the idea of "emotional prototyping", which helped build the bedrock that would become one of the most loved games of all time. Honestly, I don't think that is an understatement. People who play Outer Wilds love Outer Wilds, and there is a reason for that.

A few weeks ago, I got to speak with Alex's sister and writer for Outer Wilds, Kelsey Beachum, and we also get to hear from him about how the two of them influenced and inspired each other by creating comics and games for the other to enjoy.

I loved hearing directly from Alex about some of the games that inspired him, including the likes of Dark Souls, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Wind Waker, and, funnily enough, The Magic School Bus Explores the Solar System.

This really is an interview about funnelling passion, interests and philosophies into a game, and finding out what it's like for a developer to make something where they feel as if they really did leave nothing on the table.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.