Make That Game! A Game Design Podcast

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Horse"! Claire pitches a Horse MMO with heavy moderation and Isaac half-remembers a game he's only seen clips of and makes a new game about horses out of the ethereal material of his dreams!Isaac continues talking about his city-building game that he is actually making, and how a playtest went!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro 03:19 Claire pitches her heavily moderated horse MMO10:46 Isaac pitches "I of the Horse"18:23 rapid fire round!34:28 Discussion, more on Isaac's game!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! It's been one year since this podcasting couple got married, so of course, this episode's theme is "Year"! Isaac pitches a Learn'em'up Kids game about history, and Claire pitches a game that you only have 1 year of real time to beat!After the rapid fire round Isaac talks about some of the game design decisions he's currently making! That's right, he's making a game! We're not supposed to do that!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro02:51 Isaac pitches his history learn em up06:25 Claire pitches her real time year game13:53 Rapid Fire Round!28:36 Isaac talks about his city builder

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Tile"! Claire pitches a game idea about drawing tiles and Isaac decides the one thing Go is missing is imbalance!After the rapid fire round Claire talks about Tomodachi Life and compares it to Animal Crossing and The Sims!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro01:53 Claire pitches her tile-based mario maker07:06 Isaac pitches his tile-based go-like15:17 Rapid fire round!31:25 Discussion: Tomodachi Life

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Jam"! Isaac pitches sliding tile puzzle game and Claire pitches a stealthy game about sticky kids.After the rapid fire round we talk about "quality of life" and what it means when games get QoL improvements!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro02:19 Isaac pitches traffic jam06:37 Claire pitches jam hands11:38 Rapid fire round!26:11 Discussion: Quality of life in video gamesMusic: Lounge Jazz Elevator MusicAudio File URL:https://pixabay.com/music/traditional-jazz-lounge-jazz-elevator-music-324902/

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Four"! Isaac pitches a game that doesn't really count for the theme and Claire pitches a musical rhythm-based learn'em up!After the rapid fire round we... tease next week's discussion! That's right, Isaac is coughing again so we cut it short to save his poor lungs. Tune in next week to hear us talk about "quality of life"!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro 01:15 Isaac pitches Bullet tetris07:28 Claire pitches a rhythm learn'em up14:31 Rapid Fire Round!

NEXT LIVE STREAM IS 2/21/2026 AT 11:30 AM EST! Be there or don't! I'm not your boss.What's old is new again with our first "New Game+" episode! It's technically a re-run, sure, but! You probably haven't listened to it! We have stats that say so!This week, Claire's pitch puts you on the other side of Diner Dash and has you playing a character who... has to order food? That's the game!Then, Isaac goes into his New England weather-trauma and digs a game idea right out of the snow! It blows! Snow, that is. This game is for you people from warmer climate!Our deep dive discussion this week is... what's the difference between a hard-lock and a soft-lock? What are they and why do they happen? We also talk about some notable ones!We also tangentially revisit the honks and bonks for Breath of the Wild, just sneak a few more things in there!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Vitamin"! Claire pitches a vitamin themed side scroller and Isaac has us surviving harsh environments while maintaining a balanced diet!We mix things up a bit and do the Rapid Fire Round BEFORE the topic of the day: does Isaac like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun!?Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Rapid-fire game creation using three random words- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!02:42 Claire pitches her vitamin themed side-scroller08:17 Isaac pitches Hatchet: the vitamin survival game12:07 Rapid Fire round!24:57 Discussion: Isaac maybe doesn't like Boltgun

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Demon"! Claire gives Wii Fit a devilish redesign and Isaac wheels and deals. Then we talk about open world games and the end game! How open should your open world be!?Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:00 Intro01:55 Claire pitches Exercise your Demons08:27 Isaac pitches deal with the devil18:41 Isaac and Claire talk open worlds and endgame33:46 Rapid Fire round!

Welcome BACK to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "New"! Claire gets inspired by Minit and Isaac pitches a roguelike, but like, longer I guess? Then we talk about our 2026 goals!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!04:13 Claire pitches her Minit-style game10:04 Issac ptiches a loooong rogue-like14:33 2026 podcast goals!28:25 Rapid fire round!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming!This episode's theme is "Sweater"! Isaac gets sweaty with a game about workin' up a sweat, and Claire unravels a tale about yarn!This week for discussion we go a lot of places but mostly talk about the Great British Baking Show/Great British Bake Off. Listen to Isaac try to make it related to game design!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!"Hold" music by Ievgen Poltavskyi from Pixabay

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Drive"! Isaac's idea is for a chaotic game of golf, and Claire pitches a game of stealth, driving, and stealing hard drives!Each episode of Make That Game includes:​Original game design pitches from our hosts​Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics​Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!00:58 Isaac pitches his real time golf MMO05:28 Claire pitches drive the drive!08:19 Claire and Isaac gaming update37:09 Rapid fire round!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Sun"! Claire's pitches an idea for a planetary city builder, and Isaac pitches a hide and seek game powered by the sun!This week we bring back the "Claire 2 Guess" gaming slang guessing game. See how Claire does!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!01:42 Claire pitches a planetary city builder with complex sun systems!06:23 Isaac pitches his sun hide and seek game for lonely millennials! 15:39 Claire 2 Guess round 2!35:46 Rapid fire round!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming!This episode's theme is "Rock"! Claire's idea is about throwing rocks in the sky to draw pictures, and Isaac pitches a game about collecting rocks to improve the body of a rock monster and wreak havoc!This week we discuss the science of builds vs just going by vibes with character attribute/skill/item allocation AKA the meta game!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!02:41 Claire pitches a very realistic rock sky drawing game05:51 Isaac pitches his rock armor game09:52 Discussion: Science vs Vibes with skill trees32:17 Rapid Fire round!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Renaissance Faire"! Isaac pitches a game about a portal overtaking a RenFaire and Claire's game idea has you dressing up princesses and... jousting!?This week we discuss a quote from Fumito Ueda (game designer of Shadow of the Colossus, Ico). Are game mechanics DEAD!???Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast will entertain and hopefully get those juices flowing!03:14 Isaac pitches his ren fair portal rpg08:39 Claire pitches Barbie Renaissance Festival12:16 Discussion: are game mechanics DEAD????31:03 Rapid fire round!Link to article: https://www.cbr.com/shadow-of-the-colossus-director-game-mechanics-era-over/

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! This episode's theme is "Crate"! Claire pitches a game about building a tower of milk crates, and Isaac asks gamers to get space forklift certified and hunt aliens!Claire honks and bonks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Watch out for spoilers!Each episode of Make That Game includes:- Original game design pitches from our hosts- Breakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topics- Rapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, AI in gaming, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast is your backstage pass to the world of game development.01:53 Claire pitches Crate Tower Simulator06:24 Isaac pitches space crates: forklift certified 11:00 Claire honks and bonks Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! 32:51 Claire Spoils the end of e33!39:42 (Spoiler Free Zone) Rapid Fire round!

Welcome to Make That Game, the podcast for indie game developers, design enthusiasts, and creative minds in gaming! In this episode, themed around "Wire", Isaac pitches a thrilling tightrope-balancing platformer, while Claire imagines a quirky mobile game powered by potato energy.We also launch a brand-new segment: "Guess That Game Term!"—where Claire takes on a rapid quiz of common game development jargon. Will she know them or hilariously guess her way through?Each episode of Make That Game includes:Original game design pitches from our hostsBreakdowns of popular and indie games we've played or discussion of game design topicsRapid-fire game creation using three random wordsWhether you're exploring game mechanics, level design, AI in gaming, or just love the chaos of creative brainstorming, this podcast is your backstage pass to the world of game development.01:14 Isaac shares his tightrope platformer05:05 Claire pitches her potato mobile game15:40 Isaac and Claire present a new segment!41:36 Rapid Fire Round!

Read the controversial Nintendo Patent here!https://archive.org/details/12403397/page/n40/mode/1upWelcome to Make That Game, the video game design podcast where wild ideas bloom! In this week’s episode, we explore the theme “Flower.” Isaac pitches an eco-samurai game where petals fight blight, and Claire reimagines the enchanted rose from Beauty and the Beast as a gameplay mechanic.In our discussion we dive into the controversial Nintendo gameplay patent making waves in the dev community.Each episode features original game pitches, design breakdowns of games we've played, and a rapid-fire round where we invent a game using three random words.If you're into game development, indie creativity, and design theory with a dash of chaos, you’ve found your next favorite podcast!02:35 Isaac pitches his floral sword-fighting game07:29 Claire pitches beauty and beast 14:26 We discussed the Nintendo Patent! 32:19 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Paint"! Claire imagines a game where you mix magical pigments while you paint for a patron and Isaac spends a lot of time describing drawing "under" rather than "over" with his Real Time Strategy game idea. Then Isaac RANTS about the new edition of The Horus Heresy, a tabletop wargame. Trust me, he brings it around to general game design... eventually. He really gets there!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:15 Claire pitches her paint water potion game06:51 Isaac pitches a painting RTS14:32 Isaac discusses The Horus Heresy! 35:49 Rapid fire round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Telephone"! Claire imagines a game where you investigate the mysteries of a haunted telephone museum and Isaac rips off War of the Worlds (2025). The movie! With Ice Cube! Then Claire talks about the most recent game she finished, Nancy Drew, Midnight in Salem! How does it stack up to the Curse of Blackmoor Manor?This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!02:34 Claire pitches Haunted Telephone Museum 09:03 Isaac pitches his War of the Worlds spinoff19:18 Claire discusses Nancy Drew, Midnight in Salem40:40 Rapid fire round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Ball"! Claire gives us an idea for a rogue-lite long-term multi-masquerade mystery mission! Isaac pitches what might be the best idea he'll ever have: Footfootballball! What is that? You'll just have to listen to find out! Then Isaac and Claire discuss: EDUTAINMENT games! Did Oregon Trail have important lessons to teach? Can cartoon kids teach you chemistry? Find out!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:02 Claire pitches a game unrelated to Jacob Elordi10:07 Isaac pitches - no wait kicks? his sports game14:30 Claire and Isaac discuss edutainment and propaganda! 37:24 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Well"! Isaac rips off Helldivers (Helldivers 2, specifically) with a fantasy themed "co-op horde shooter" (I think that's what he called it) and Claire comes up with a city builder! Then Claire dives deep into Blue Prince!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!00:49 Isaac Pitches Well Divers 207:04 Claire pitches, well, a city builder10:28 Discussion: Blue Prince Design Breakdown37:20 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Friends"! Perhaps unsurprisingly, both of our hosts pitch JRPGs for the theme! Then Claire talks about Nancy Drew: The Mystery of Blackmoor Manor. That's right folks, a rare Honk & Bonk!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!02:25 Claire pitches a friendship-based JRPG! 09:26 Isaac Pitches a friendship-based JPRG!14:30 Claire discusses Nancy Drew38:54 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Royal"! Claire pitches an idea for a gingerbread survival/market MMO game. Isaac's game is definitely not IP-theft and is about killing your way up the line of succession! Then we talk about SGDQ 2025! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!02:20 Claire pitches her gingerbread game!08:31 Isaac pitches a murderous guide! 19:08 SGDQ 2025 wrap up!40:35 Rapid-er Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Bears"! Claire's game idea is about getting to the real truth of all cryptids! Wait, what's that got to do with bears? And Isaac pitches a game idea about stacking bears to make load-bearing structures! Hm. Then Isaac rants and rambles about Oblivion: Remastered, and some of the design aspects that he thinks are interesting!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!03:08 Claire pitches her point and click cryptid game07:37 Isaac pitches "Bear with me"013:56 Discussion: Isaac's Oblivian ramble39:12 Rapid fire round!

Learn more about Matt's game and sign up for his newsletter at https://matthewmyre.com/ This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Ice cream"! Claire gives us a game idea about seeking out ingredients to make post-apocalyptic ice cream, and Isaac gives us an idea that's "like Splatoon, with ice cream". This week we chat with  game developer Matt Myre and talk about his game in progress, "The Electorate"!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:23 Claire pitches her ice cream survival game04:30 Isaac pitches his Ice Cream shooter game!09:01 Discussion: Matt Myre and his election simulation game! 58:38 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Doors"! Isaac's pitch is a door collect-em-up puzzle solving extravaganza and Claire's game idea is definitely not a scam and is also an online voting game! Then Isaac has Opinions About Doors. Our discussion this week is just talking about Baldur's Gate 3, which we are still playing, and are almost to or maybe in Act 3??? Find out more!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:37 Isaac pitches his door fantasy game09:31 Claire pitches a door game that is not a scam13:43 Isaac's opinions about Doors17:55 Baldur's (up)Gate44:50 Rapid fire round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Lizard Wizard"! If that seems extremely limited in scope to you, that's why Isaac isn't allowed to pick themes any more! Claire pitches an idea about Ratatouille-ing a knight with magic and Isaac pitches a "collect em' all" about magical spells! Then we discuss narrative in open world games!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:51 Claire pitches magic on your shoulder 06:36 Isaac pitches Lizzard Wizard: The Quest for all the spells10:13 Discussion: Narrative in open-world games23:22 The Rapid fire round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Wedding"! Isaac pitches a game about Elvis and queues? and Claire offers a game about escaping a wedding! Our discussion topic this week is about games that force you to use certain mechanics and maybe don't do the best at making that part interesting or fun?This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:59 Isaac pitches his Vegas Wedding Gauntlet!08:41 Claire pitches a silly runaway bride game!14:09 Discussion: I made it so you have to play it34:28 The rapid fire round!

We've got a super special episode for you this week! Claire and Isaac got MARRIED! And they PODCASTED at it! WHOAAAA!We break format a little to keep it short, snappy and engaging, and just do 5 rapid fire rounds in a row. The words were provided by the wedding guests, so they got a little bit weird!Sorry for the audio quality - recording a live podcast during a wedding using mostly venue equipment is a bit of a task, and it's our first time. We've tried to improve it where we can but there's only so much you can do. Claire worked super hard to make it as good of an audio experience as possible! Sorry for how much we move!

What's old is new again with our first "New Game+" episode! It's technically a re-run, sure, but! You probably haven't listened to it! We have stats that say so!This episode kicks off with Honks and Bonks of Just Dance and Elden Ring! Guess who does which game, I bet you can't! Then Claire pitches "Micro Land" a game about being tiny. Soooooo teeny weeny tiny! Then Isaac pitches a town building puzzle game, which at this point in time was not a cliche for him to do.This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot! Especially this one, where we fixate on tuberculosis/consumption for perhaps too long!04:07 Claire Honks and bonks just dance!16:53 Isaac Honks and Bonks Elden ring!36:03 Claire pitches "Micro Land" a game where you are so microscopic nothing is real?42:28 Isaac pitches a town building puzzle game! 49:28 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Business"! Isaac's idea is a game about micromanagement and Claire gives the world an idea about a better bees-ness bureau! Our discussion topic this week is fueled by Baldur's Gate 3 and the design thinking behind blocking game content behind certain requirements, ie should you put a scroll of Feather Fall right next to the tall cliff you buried treasure under!?This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:06 Isaac pitches micromanage!08:04 Claire pitches the BeeBeeBee14:58 Discussion - how to access bonus quests?33:50 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Dinosaur"! Claire pitches an idea for a flight simulator, and Isaac's pitch is about digging up robots! Then we continue talking about Isaac's RPG design, specifically the teased topic of AVOIDABLE BATTLES!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:46 Claire pitches dinosaur flight simulator 05:03 Isaac pitches a mech-excavation battle game11:51 Discussion: No-fight video game?27:01 Rapid Fire Round!42:54 Bonus mini discussion!Pod Art image source:"Robosaurus" https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robosaurus_face.jpg

This week's game idea pitch theme is: "Cave"! Isaac goes first with his idea of an RTS set in giant ant caves. It's very important that you understand this isn't just an RTS where you play *as* ants. No, you just live in their caves. And then Claire pitches a fixed-camera horror game where you explore a mysterious cave! Then Isaac talks about the game he HAS been making which is an RNG-less turn-based RPG!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!00:48 Isaac pitches a giant Ant RTS12:30 Claire pitches Cave In18:16 Claire asks Isaac about his non-randomizer game!40:09 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is Heat! Claire's idea is about committing crimes and dealing with that heat, and Isaac gives us an idea for a multi-player shooter with heat-based vision! Then Isaac rants about World of Warcraft and the various ways it has caught gamers in its grip for so many years!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!02:31 Claire Pitches a stealth rogue like10:59 Isaac pitches Cold Blooded Killers20:10 Discussion: MMO engagement 42:59 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is Spider! Claire's idea is about learning to cook (it fits the theme, she promises) and Isaac pitches an idea about doing a hardcore webspinner simulation! Then we talk about Baldur's Gate 3's action wheel (on consoles) and how Isaac hates it and pleads for an action bar!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!01:56 Claire pitches learn em up kitchen07:02 Isaac Pitches Web simulator12:18 Lewis SCREAMS13:13 Claire and Isaac discuss the action wheel29:51 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's game idea pitch theme is Water! Claire's idea is about building water towers for towns and Isaac pitches an idea about managing jugs of water... to use as ammo!? Then we talk about main-line vs. spin-off games and what the heck that even means!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!02:40 Claire Pitches "Wet City"09:59 Isaac Pitches "Wet Killer"17:30 Discussion: What makes a game "Main Line"?38:19 Rapid Fire Round!

This Valentine's week's theme is Heart! Isaac possibly unintentionally plagiarizes a game he played years ago (Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt, go play it!) and Claire does quite possibly the first Pac-man-like we've ever heard of?? For discussion, we talk about Split Screen Co-op, specifically because of Baldur's Gate 3!This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!3:00 Isaac Pitches his part-friendship part-terrifying game12:56 Claire pitches a pac-man like called "Heartbreaker"23:59 Discussion - Split Screens!36:51 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's theme is Mars! Claire pitches a space race RTS and Isaac pitches a wave survival FPS. Then we discuss active vs passive gaming and the apparent trend of the industry from one end to the other.This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. To close out the show we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you!03:07 Claire pitches an RTS about bad planning13:49 Isaac pitches a game with space spiders20:06 Discussion - Are games too easy?38:29 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's theme is "snow"! Claire pitches a souls-like about a snowman and Isaac goes deep with snow simulation! Then Claire honks and bonks Life Is Strange: Double Exposure! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot! 04:00 Claire Pitches Dark Snow - The snowman souls-like 09:50 Isaac pitches the realistic snow survival Minecraft game 17:50 Honks and Bonks - Life is Strange, Double Exposure 40:25 Rapid Fire Round!

Welcome back to a new year of Make That Game! Our first theme of the year is "new", which Isaac... both came up with and completely forgot about? Ugh! Anyways, his game idea is like Oregon Trail but also he's watched some movies recently. Claire's idea makes use of some of the new features of the PS5! And we discuss our previous year's gaming resolutions, and make new ones! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot! 00:00 We're Back! 02:46 Isaac Pitches his Oregon Trail/LOTR mashup 13:01 Claire pitches a hide-and-seek PS5 demo game 17:43 2025 Gaming Goals! 38:24 Rapid Fire Round!

This week's ~USER SUBMITTED~ game theme is Armor! Isaac's game is about roaming a post-apocalyptic equipping a rusting tank with state of the art... cardboard armor!? And Clair pitches an idea about shedding your hard protective exterior and exposing your vulnerable self for the sake of love! Then we talk a whole lot about The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot! 04:45 Isaac Pitches Tank World 13:49 Claire pitches "Armour" (it's a pun) 24:15 Isaac and Claire discuss Echos of Wisdom 53:41 The rapid fire round!

This week's game idea theme is cookies and in that spirit Isaac brings us the aptly named Cookie Shooter! It's a first person shooter... with a cookie theme. Yup. Claire's game is a Battletech-inspired Gingerbread man game! Then we discuss savescumming and building it into games. This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot! 00:00 Make that game! 02:40 Isaac Pitches a cookie FPS 9:23 Claire pitches a half-baked gingerbread person game 16:45 Discussion: Save Scumming built into your game? 30:27 The Rapid Fire Round!

What's old is new again with our first "New Game+" episode! It's technically a re-run, sure, but! You probably haven't listened to it! We have stats that say so! Isaac pitches "Duck Ponder" a location defense game, presumably about ducks and ponds. Claire's idea is "Cat Cafe Princess Warrior", a She-Ra meets Link's Awakening, meets a cat cafe game! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

This week the theme is: princess! Claire's idea has you managing princess parties and Isaac gives us the gift of cursing princesses with eternal slumber! For our discussion, Claire gives us her Honks and Bonks (it's like a review, if you haven't heard one of these before!) of Golden Glitch's time-looping adventure game, Elsinore! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

We start off by reading a listener's screwy game idea, and then we've decided we're going to try out doing game idea themes! This week the theme is: leaves! Claire's game is about scattering leaves on lawns and Isaac's is a competitive Leaf 'Em Up! Then Isaac talks entirely too long about Dwarf Fortress, and we learn what a skink is. This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

It's a spooky ooky episode of Make That Game! Isaac pitches a game about a ghostly pumpkin army and Claire pitches a 5-in-1 multi-game ghost extravaganza! We also talk about Life is Strange's strange lack of accessibility, and what can make a horror game SCARY! This is Make That Game, the shocking podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random scary words and come up with a horrific game idea and gruesome design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's spooky!

Claire pitches an idea about solving puzzles with reflected light (AND we learn she doesn't know what 3D means!) and Isaac pitches an idea about Santa Claus clobbering evil cretins with his sack! Then we discuss... why games might get released uh, too early! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

Isaac's game idea is a roguelike where you become the enemy you kill (that's right, you usually get weaker!), and Claire does her homework and revisits her idea from last time! Then we discuss the design differences between tabletop games (mostly board games) and video games! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

In a rare turn of events, Isaac pitches the first game and it's a very simple strategy game! Then Claire pitches an idea for a game where you randomly transform between forms! For our discussion we talk about our top 3 "draws" for games - what are we looking for? What makes us want to play new games we see/hear about? Find out! This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!

Claire pitches a game about drawing weapons! You know, with a pencil? What did YOU think I meant by "drawing weapons"? Isaac's game is about reversing the fishing game. Then we discuss Claire replaying Life Is Strange in. What has she learned as a gamer since her first time playing!? This is Make That Game, the podcast where we talk about the latest and greatest new video games... that aren't ever going to get made. We pitch 'em, you make 'em (if you want, nobody's forcing you I guess). Then we break down games we've played by game design elements we liked or didn't like so much. If you're looking for a video game design focused podcast, we might have just the one for you! And of course, as always, we have the rapid fire round, where we generate 3 random words and come up with a game idea and design incorporating them! Needless to say, it's a riot!