Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games
Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Games
- 1 hour 47 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Porgy
We're joined by Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) and Kayin (I Wanna Be The Guy) to discuss Porgy, the 22nd game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Strange happenings near the coast! Dive deep and get to the bottom of what's fishy in the sea."
Next week: Onion Delivery
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Discussed on this episode:
Kayin’s Porgy Blog Post – ”On Backtracking” https://kayin.moe/backtracking
Games: Agency as Art – C. Thi Nguyen https://global.oup.com/academic/product/games-9780190052089?cc=us&lang=en&
A Play of Bodies – Brendan Keogh https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262037631/a-play-of-bodies/
Shadow The Past’s Porgy Speedruns (1st World Record run) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoYXGkX2_IA&t=1s
Game Maker’s Notebook – 17 Year Development Journey with Caves of Qud https://interactive.libsyn.com/17-year-development-journey-with-caves-of-qud
Kayin’s website https://kayin.moe/about
Kayin on bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/kayin.moe
Trent on bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/trentkusters.bsky.social
https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
21 February 2025, 4:51 pm - 1 hour 38 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Waldorf’s Journey
We're joined by Liz Ryerson (Sounds from the Abyss) and Ben Esposito (Neon White) to discuss Waldorf’s Journey, the 21st game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Waldorf didn't go looking for adventure. He was just trying to enjoy a nice nap..."
Next week: Porgy
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway
Show Notes:
Terry’s Other Games – A collection of Terry Cavanagh’s smaller works https://terrycavanagh.itch.io/terrys-other-games
Paralect https://igf.com/paralect-0
Waldorf’s Journey Speedrun World Record by MACH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv2IlhR1fQw
Neon White https://neonwhite.rip/
Liz Ryerson’s Bandcamp https://bandcamp.com/lizryerson
Sounds from the Abyss mixes https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEdRlER1F5rGvaoE-XbV6jz6OymxQw4jx&si=HFcDTYa5DPqD_aD5
Great Art by Liz Ryerson https://www.mostancient.com/shop/great-art
GDC Experimental Game Workshop links:
2004–2022 GDC Vault Recordings https://gdcvault.com/browse?keyword=experimental+gameplay+workshop
2023–2024 GDC Vault Recordings https://gdcvault.com/browse?keyword=experimental+game+workshop
Experimental Game Workshop website https://www.experimentalgameworkshop.org/
GDC 2025 Experimental Games Showcase speaker list https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/experimental-games-showcase/911131
Episode 145 – Addressing Memory with Plunderludics https://eggplant.show/145-addressing-memory-with-plunderludics
Episode 94 – Learning to Unclench with Ben Esposito (Neon White) https://eggplant.show/94-neon-white
https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
14 February 2025, 3:00 pm - 1 hour 41 minutes145: Addressing Memory with Plunderludics
Doug and Rob chat with mut moochi, Jonny Hopkins, and Gurn Group about their experimental game and emulator hacking practice, which they call "plunderludics". We're also joined by special guest co-host Bennett Foddy. We describe some of their pieces, the comparison against plunderphonics and other related terms, the tools they've developed, and more.
Show notes:
plunderludics wiki https://plunderludics.github.io/
Unityhawk https://plunderludics.github.io/tools/unityhawk.html
boshi's place https://boshis.place/
mut's Tapestry https://2024.amaze-berlin.de/mentions/tapestry/
mut's Auto Mario https://nes.mut.media/goodluck.html
Mario Mario's bro skater 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWHXMURV2vo
tetris, but all at once, but all at once https://x.com/jwhopkin/status/1624188079408918528
jonny's Mario x film composites https://x.com/jwhopkin/status/1627367719518576656 https://x.com/jwhopkin/status/1628938203435614208 https://x.com/jwhopkin/status/1630298848479281153
Gurn Group's itch page https://gurnburial.itch.io/
Mario Tag documentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pul43sdWO8k
Multibowl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multibowl
"Plunderphonics, or Audio Piracy as a Compositional Prerogative" https://plunderphonics.com/
JohnLee Cooper's list Plundercore (Not By Me Mostly) https://itch.io/c/2861178/plundercore-not-by-me-mostly
Water Level/b.l.u.e. EXPLORATION by hatimb00 https://hatimb00.itch.io/blue-exploration
11 February 2025, 11:49 am - 1 hour 35 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Warptank
We're joined by Adam Saltsman (Finji), Liz Ryerson (musician, writer, podcaster), and Bijan Stephen (Compulsion Games) to discuss Warptank, the 20th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Use your tank to regain control of the station and sever all ties to Capsule World!"
Next week: Waldorf’s Journey
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
The Cousin Game is one of the oldest and most underappreciated genres by Patrick Gill (Polygon)
Fun City (Cyberpunk TTRPG podcast)
Adam’s itch.io (adamatonic.itch.io)
Great Art by Liz Ryerson
GDC Experimental Game Workshop links:
2023–2024 GDC Vault Recordings
Experimental Game Workshop website
GDC 2025 Experimental Games Showcase speaker list
Episode 28 – Surviving Overland with Adam Saltsman
7 February 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 15 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Big Bell Race
We're joined by Alfredo Barraza (Riot) to discuss Big Bell Race, the 19th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Do you have what it takes to become the Big Bell Race Champion?"
Our show has been nominated for a 2024 Thinky Award in some great company! Check out the full list here... and if you should be moved to vote for us, that is between you and whatever higher power you recognize. Thanks to Thinky Games for the recognition.
Next week: Warptank
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Discussed on this episode:
https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
31 January 2025, 5:30 pm - 1 hour 30 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Golfaria
We're joined by John Axon (Capybara Games) and Ben Wilson (Die Gute Fabrik) to discuss Golfaria, the 18th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Deep beneath the fairway, a golf ball awakens. Where did it come from? What is its purpose?"
Next week: The Big Bell Race
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
John Axon on Bluesky
Zerofiftyone.net (Ben’s crosswords)
Episode 69 – Building a Better Bridge with Ben Wilson
Episode 129 – Reinforcing Worldbuilding through Gameplay with Spoils
https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
24 January 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 22 minutes144: Keeping it Queer with Mo Cohen and Hagen Deloss (Queer Quest)
We chat with Mo Cohen (Queermo Games) and Hagen Deloss about Queer Quest, a point-and-click adventure that's best described as "gay Monkey Island meets feminist Leisure Suit Larry".
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Show notes:
Queer Quest official site (Queermo Games)
Queer Quest on Steam and itch.io
Eggplant interview with Gilles De Coster (De Mol)
Queer Quest Kickstarter (October 2016)
Mar Del Castillo and Miss Honey
Read Only Memories (ROM) (MidBoss)
My Ex-Boyfriend the Space Tyrant (Luke Miller)
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Rise of the Video Game Zinesters by Anna Anthropy
20 January 2025, 5:03 pm - 1 hour 22 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Campanella
We're joined by Carolyn Petit (Kotaku) and Russ Frushtick (Polygon) to discuss Campanella, the 17th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Fly the Campanella through five challenging worlds! And don't forget to stop for coffee!"
Next week: Golfaria
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Discussed in this episode:
https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
17 January 2025, 4:00 pm - 1 hour 40 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Camouflage
We're joined by Adam Saltsman (Finji) and Izzy Kestrel (Funomena, No Goblin) to discuss Camouflage, the 16th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Blend in with your surroundings to evade predators and fulfill your destiny."
Next week: Campanella
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Discussed on this episode:
Celine Dion’s Let’s Talk About Love – A Journey to the End of Taste by Carl Wilson
Adam’s PICO-8 Games (and other itch.io releases!)
Izzy’s itch.io page (specific titles mentioned below)
Universal Studios Theme Parks Adventure Adventure
Episode 28 – Surviving Overland with Adam Saltsman
Adam Saltsman on Bluesky
Izzy Kestrel on Bluesky
10 January 2025, 5:23 pm - 3 hours 15 minutes143: Games of the Year 2024
The whole crew assembles to share our personal five favorite games of 2024, alongside picks from previous show guests and our listeners. Happy 2025!
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Our GOTY picks (SPOILERS):
Doug:
B3313 (Mario 64 mod)
Sarah:
Velgress (from UFO 50)
Zach:
Laura:
Games to play with babies / Zach’s 2023 pick
Dress to Impress (Roblox)
Nick:
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Andy:
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Velgress (of UFO 50)
Rob:
Barbuta (of UFO 50)
Show Notes:
Electron Dance piece/interview about Xenosphere
action button reviews boku no natsuyasumi (2022)
Other picks from guests and listeners:
10 hours of silence occasionally broken up by the Taco Bell bong
The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls
Playframes: How Do We Know We Are Playing? by Celia Pearce
Katamari Damacy
Karen Kavett’s Gradient Cascade Puzzle
7 January 2025, 12:58 am - 1 hour 25 minutesEP: A Year of UFO 50 - Block Koala
We're joined by Patrick Traynor (Patrick’s Parabox) and Frank Lantz (Universal Paperclips, NYU Game Center) to discuss Block Koala, the 15th game in the UFO 50 collection.
"Flamingus has stolen all the water! Solve puzzles to defeat him and save the park!"
Next week: Camouflage
Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.
Discussed in this episode:
Stephen’s Sausage Roll by increpare
Corrypt by Michael Brough
Hectique’s UFO 50 All Games Speedrun (the Block Koala part)
Jelly no Puzzle by Qrostar
Blockhouse by Kory Heath
The Gang by Kory Heath
Episode 124 – Thinking Inside the Box with Patrick Traynor (Patrick’s Parabox)
Episode 87 – Fighting Words with Everybody House Games (Babble Royale)
Episode 31 – Good Times with Bad Robots with Frank Lantz (Hey Robot)
Join our Discord: http://discord.gg/eggplant
Leave us a tip: https://www.patreon.com/eggplantshow
3 January 2025, 7:02 pm - More Episodes? Get the App