Why Most Daily Games Are Broken (And How to Fix Them)

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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.

Why Most Daily Games Are Broken (And How to Fix Them)

Hey, Good Game

59 minutes

6 months ago

Why Most Daily Games Are Broken (And How to Fix Them)

In this episode of Hey, Good Game, we sit down with Jeff Doka — creative director, writer, and co-founder of World Seekers, a GPS-based deckbuilding game that fuses exercise and entertainment. Jeff shares lessons from building Chess Puzzle Blitz, why most daily games fail to create lasting habits, and how deep mechanics and storytelling can transform casual gaming experiences. We dive into the realities of bootstrapped game development, the art of crafting daily puzzle loops, and why designing for real-world benefit (not just dopamine hits) might be the future of gaming. Plus: why AI isn’t replacing good storytelling anytime soon, and how rolling a D20 perfectly describes indie life.

If you care about games that actually make your life better — you’ll love this one.

Check out Jeff's Resources:
https://www.4leaflabs.com/
https://www.finalbossediting.com/
https://www.worldseekersgame.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Distributor-Jeff-Doka-ebook/dp/B0DMPYTBGH
https://www.amazon.com/Running-Wlid-Novella-Anthology-Book/dp/1955062676

Socials:
https://www.facebook.com/worldseekersgame
https://www.instagram.com/worldseekers_game/
https://bsky.app/profile/finalbossediting.bsky.social

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(00:00) - Introduction to AI in Writing and Game Design
(00:31) - Meet Jeff Doka: Creative Director and Co-Founder of World Seekers
(02:24) - Jeff's Favorite Games and Gaming Habits
(03:26) - Journey into Game Design
(05:26) - Collaborating with a Team
(07:12) - Balancing Multiple Roles: Fractional CEO and Game Development
(09:49) - Final Boss Editing: Streaming and Storytelling
(14:59) - Daily Puzzle Mechanics and Player Retention
(23:40) - Innovations in Daily Puzzle Games
(29:28) - Switching Topics: The Creation of World Seekers
(30:12) - The Benefits of GPS Games
(31:03) - Challenges and Goals in Game Design
(32:51) - Current Status and Future Plans for World Seekers
(37:29) - Inspiration and Data Sources
(40:52) - Seeking Feedback and Funding
(46:05) - AI in Writing and Game Design
(57:59) - Final Thoughts and Contact Information

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