We're joined by Marc Flury (Thumper) and Alfredo Barraza (Riot) to discuss Planet Zoldath, the eighth game in the UFO 50 collection.

“Brave the wilds of Planet Zoldath in search of the intergalactic treasure map!”

Next week: Attactics

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We're joined by Derek Lieu (derek-lieu.com) and Colin Northway (Fantastic Contraption) to discuss Velgress, the seventh game in the UFO 50 collection.

“The space pirate Alpha is trapped in the deep pit known as Velgress. Help her climb out!”

Next week: Planet Zoldath

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We're joined by Aaron "ix" Kearsley (speedrunner), Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) to discuss Mortol, the sixth game in the UFO 50 collection.

“How many people will lay down their lives to save Mortolia?”

Next week: Velgress

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We're joined by Daniel Mullins (Inscryption), Stuffed Wombat (Mosa Lina), and XanaGear (youtube.com/xanagear) to discuss Magic Garden, the fifth game in the UFO 50 collection.

“Stop the jealous witch Cloverana from sabotaging your garden!”

Next week: Mortol

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In the first installment of a new Into the Depths series, we dive into the brilliant Caves of Qud. This sprawling open-world roguelike has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015, and we're celebrating it as it nears a v1.0 release. Doug and Rob, together with guest host and Qud-head Jack Schlesinger (Puzzmo, Knotwords, Good Sudoku), talk to Caves of Qud creators Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat all about post-apocalyptic worldbuilding, building an emergence-focused game engine, and what it takes to keep a project and partnership going for nearly two decades.

Don't forget to join our discord and play along with the series. Try to get a character to Level 5 before our next episode, where we'll get into some basics around the early game and Qud's many interlocking systems. You can purchase Caves of Qud -- still in Early Access, for now -- on Steam or GOG.

Discussed in this Episode

Gamma World Dwarf Fortress Kitfox Games Data-Driven Engines of Qud and Sproggiwood, talk by Brian Bucklew @ IRDC 2015 A Data-Driven Object System, talk by Scott Bilas @ GDC 2002 ("Looks like the paper isn't available but here's a talk on the same subject matter") The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM) Tracery for context-free grammar generation Emergent Narrative in Dwarf Fortress, talk by Tarn Adams @ Progression Mechanics 2017 The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe Clark Ashton Smith Sam Wilson (pixel artist) Craig Hamilton (OST)

We're joined by Frank Lantz (The Beauty of Games) to discuss Paint Chase, the fourth game in the UFO 50 collection.

“Rev your engines and color your way to victory in the local paint racing competition!”

Next week: Magic Garden

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We're joined by Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike) to discuss Ninpek, the third game in the UFO 50 collection.

“It’s ninja time! Run and jump to reach the end of the world.”

Next week: Paint Chase, with guest co-host Carolyn Petit

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We're joined by Frank Lantz (Universal Paperclips), Jack Schlesinger (Knotwords), and John Axon (Battle Vision Network) to discuss Bug Hunter, the second game in the UFO 50 collection.

“The moon quarry has a bug problem and you’ve been hired to fix it.”

Next week: Ninpek

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We're joined by Xalavier Nelson Jr. (I Am Your Beast), Sylvie (Sylvie Lime), and Gabe Cuzzillo (Ape Out) to discuss Barbuta, the first game in the UFO 50 collection.

"Explore the castle but watch out for traps!"

Next week: Bug Hunter

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We introduce Eggplant Presents: A Year of UFO 50 - our new 1-year weekly show covering every game in the UFO 50 collection. Join us!

Next week: Barbuta, with guest co-hosts Xalavier Nelson Jr. and Gabe Cuzzillo.

We’re joined by our own Sarah Elmaleh, who is currently leading the SAG-AFTRA video-game actors’ strike as Chair of the union's Interactive Negotiating Committee. In this rare topical emergency episode, we discuss the urgency of securing basic protections for performers in the age of so-called “generative A.I.,” the power of collective action, and why this fight has existential stakes for video games as a commercial medium. Happy Labor Day!

Show Notes

Sarah Elmaleh

SAG-AFTRA Video Game Strike Official FAQ

SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements

SAG-AFTRA Tiered Budget Interactive Media Agreement