From Red Dead to WordGlyph: The Actor Who Built a Word Game With Toothpicks and Code

https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/08/37/12/08371209-d6e1-bf7f-2e30-6e9226defa39/mza_16211408858525595045.jpg/600x600bb.jpg

Hey, Good Game

Nate Kadlac, Aaron Kardell, Joseph Rueter

76 episodes

2 weeks ago

Hey, Good Game explores the stories behind your favorite brainy games. Each week, we interview game creators and dig into what it takes to build a successful indie game, how to monetize, and how to get traction.

All content for Hey, Good Game is the property of Nate Kadlac, Aaron Kardell, Joseph Rueter and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

From Red Dead to WordGlyph: The Actor Who Built a Word Game With Toothpicks and Code

Hey, Good Game

59 minutes

5 months ago

From Red Dead to WordGlyph: The Actor Who Built a Word Game With Toothpicks and Code

Kevin Glikmann, actor and creator of WordGlyph, joins us to share his wild creative journey—from voicing unforgettable characters in Red Dead Redemption to hand-building one of the most unusual word games on the internet.

We talk about the inventing spirit that started with childhood roller coaster blueprints, the challenge of onboarding players in a genre-breaking game, and how Kevin used AI to accelerate coding without losing control. He also shares scrappy marketing tactics, ASMR game videos, and why rejection just means you’re onto something original.

Check out Kevin's Resources:
https://wordglyph.com

https://kevinglikmann.com

Game Mentions
Word Glyph

Red Dead Redemption

Scrabble

Upwords

Chopper (Apple II)

(01:20) - – Playing Bullet Chess and Getting Stuck
(03:15) - – Inventing at Age 9: A Roller Coaster Pitch to Disneyland
(05:00) - – Creative Parents and Early Exposure to Production
(06:30) - – From Airplane Spoofs to Apple II Coding
(08:00) - – Taking Apart the Rubik’s Cube to Make It Harder
(09:30) - – Balancing Left-Brain Code with Right-Brain Performance
(11:00) - – Vulnerability in Acting vs. Game Design
(14:00) - – Why Seth Breyers Didn’t Return in Red Dead 2
(16:30) - – Favorite Roles and Joy of Physical Acting
(18:40) - – Why Game Creation Is So Much Harder Than Voice Acting
(20:00) - – Kevin’s Failed Game Inventions (Scrap Ball, Word Race)
(22:30) - – From Toy Agents to Hasbro Rejections
(24:00) - – Where Word Glyph Began: Breaking Letters Into Segments
(25:30) - – Toothpicks, Flash Prototypes, and the Original Word Glyph
(27:30) - – The Wordle Wake-Up Call
(28:45) - – Building Word Glyph with JavaScript and AI
(31:30) - – The Frustration of Not Knowing Your Own Code
(34:00) - – Marketing Scrappiness: Reddit, Y Combinator, TikTok
(37:17) - – Creating Linguistic and Math Angles with AI-Generated Articles
(40:02) - – Discovering ASMR as a Game Marketing Tactic
(42:17) - – Why Influencers Cost $15K+ (and What to Do Instead)
(44:02) - – The Power of DIY Press, Product Hunt, and Discord
(48:02) - – Onboarding Through Experience, Not Instructions
(51:02) - – Game Design Tip: Help Players Win Early
(52:17) - – How Kevin Uses Community Boards for Learning & Retention
(53:32) - – Why Bad Moves in Ads Might Work
(55:02) - – What Kevin Would (and Wouldn’t) Do Differently

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com