Art of Rally is a gorgeous low-polygon take on the wild world of rally racing, with tight turns and plenty of burning rubber. Creator Dune Casu joins the show to discuss his love of rally racing, the sport's incredibly dangerous history, what it was like to take sketchy rally racing classes, and his stint as a digital nomad living out of a van. Apparently my old article helped inspire him to do it, dear god. I clearly have too much power. If you couldn't tell by my gushing, Art of Rally is an incredible game that I can't put down, and I was so thrilled to have Dune on the show to discuss all things game dev. Enjoy the show. Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Follow Zach Buckley @ zwbuckley.com Follow Dune @ FunSelektor

When the newest, biggest video game launches, it's not long after that folks start complaining about bugs. But the art, business, and struggle of video game QA is something that few truly appreciate. So I recruited two incredible QA experts -- Chloe Read of QA-Quest.com and Shane Elliot of East Side Games -- to reveal what QA looks like from the inside, how the industry treats its QA workers and loses them, and all the misconceptions average gamers have about this very particular science. Enjoy the show! For more resources, check out QA-Quest.com and EastSideGames.com.

Gamasutra news editor and noted Hitman diehard Alissa McAloon joins the 1099 to discuss why Hitman 3 is so damn good. We talk all about the amazing new levels, how weird it is to care about Hitman's plot, how fun it is to kill rich douchebags, and how we think Hitman could influence IO's upcoming 007 game. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com Follow Alissa at @ gliitchy on Twitter

Umurangi Generation blends the world of cyberpunk -- giant robots, kaiju, and penguins -- with the much more in-your-face world of today -- with COVID keeping us indoors, QAnon poisoning countless minds, and fascism on the rise. I talk with developer Veselekov about his Maori background, how neoliberal and conservative politics have failed nations like Australia, and how it all translates into a game where you take photos of mechs and giant squid monsters.

Truth is a pathless land. - J Krishnamurti These words influenced a young Matt Nava, who would go on to direct art for thatgamecompany's Journey, Flower, and later found Giant Squid and direct The Pathless and Abzu. On this week's episode, we dive into Matt's career, his father's art, and how the exhilarating and lush world and gameplay of The Pathless came to be. Matt also reflects on lessons learned from his early years of working on Flower and Journey, and what it means to find your own path in life that no one has walked before. The Pathless is out now on PS4, PS5, and Epic Game Store. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of harassment, assault, mental health, and other sensitive topics. Have you ever experienced harassment, online or IRL? Have you ever felt like no one could truly understand the very particular types of vitriol you have to deal with? The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a service that aims to give gamers, game developers, or anyone else who lives in the games community a tool to find support -- and most importantly, someone who listens, understands, and believes. My guest, hotline coordinator Jae Lin, joins the 1099 to discuss how the hotline came together, how it tailors its services to the unique (and universal) challenges that the gaming community faces, and how the lessons of the past can strengthen our future efforts. https://gameshotline.org/ TEXT “SUPPORT” to 23368 to get started. https://twitter.com/gameshotline Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow the 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at ZWBuckley.com

Kinda bug, kinda snack, 100% Chicago. Young Horses co-founder and CEO Philip Tibitoski joins the 1099 to discuss the six-year road to releasing Bugsnax, how Young Horses has stayed successful on their own terms and taken care of its employees, rejected Bugsnax designs, and how the Chicago game dev scene is thriving. We also discuss how Young Horses' history as a group of Depaul University students influenced them, why Pokemon Snap and other zoological adventures appeal to kids and adults, Follow the 1099 on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joseph: @ JosephKnoop Follow ZWbuckley.com for more music.

Bankruptcy, console bombed, legal wranglings, infighting, too ambitious...For so many reasons, video games get canceled and never see the light of day, leaving us in the dark on what could have been. Frank Gasking of GamesThatWerent.com has dedicated a large part of his life to unearthing those forgotten gems (and duds), digging into their eventual failures, and speaking to the men and women who did their damndest to make it work. Frank's new book, appropriately titled "The Games That Weren't" is a collection of 80+ unreleased or canceled games that you should absolutely check out. On this week's episode, Frank and your host Joseph Knoop explore the multitude of reasons why games get canceled, the impact such an experience can have on game developers, and the importance of game history preservation. Games That Weren't: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ Bitmap Books: https://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ Joseph: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Music: ZWBuckley.com

The earliest days of the video game industry were, to put it lightly, a wild west of new technology We all know Atari, and I’m sure plenty of folks know about Coleco, but among the competitors was a company known as APF, and their machines -- the MP1000 and later the Imagination Machine -- helped define that first generation. And we have people like engineer Ed Smith to thank for that. Ed grew up like any other black kid in New York City’s Brownsville, a tough community that exists as a testament to the power of systemic discrimination, crime, and a lack of opportunity. Like many engineers before him (such as Jerry Lawson), Ed eventually fell in love with the satisfaction and pride of taking machines apart and putting them back together, and it’s that passion and hard work that drove him to a career at companies like APF, Netware creators Novell, and even Apple. But it wasn’t until recent years that Ed even felt comfortable sharing his experiences and wisdom, thanks to a self-imposed belief that no one would believe a guy like him was ever responsible for such a cool thing. It took until 2016, when Ed’s story was featured in FastCompany, for him to realize that his story had value. And so, Ed Smith wrote his memoir, appropriately titled “Imagine That: The story of Ed Smith, one of the first African Americans to work in the design of video games and personal computers. And folks, I know I hype up a lot of episodes. It’s my job, but this truly was one of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever had the privilege of having. Not only does Smith provide an engaging look at those early years of the video game wars, he illustrates a massively compelling look at how the African American community he grew up in shaped him, the way he lives his life, and the way he championed his own intelligence and drive throughout his career. The video game and tech industries of course still struggle to diversify themselves, but as with all history, it behooves us to learn it so we can imagine a better future. Buy Ed Smith's memoir, Imagine That: https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-That-Americans-personal-computers-ebook/dp/B0846535TR Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Music by: ZWBuckley.com

On this week's episode Can I Play That staff members Courtney Craven and Grant Stoner join the show to discuss their work advocating for gamers with disabilities, and all the accessibility changes they want to see from next-gen consoles, as well as the games media giants. How can companies like Microsoft, Sony, IGN, GameSpot, Nintendo, and others improve to allow more gamers with disabilities the chance to play? Tune in to find out. Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow Can I Play That: CanIPlayThat.com Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

The Final Fantasy series has made for some of the most beloved storytelling in all of video games, but it goes beyond giant swords, spiky hair, and fancy graphics. There's an entire world of psychology behind every cast of characters, every world full of crystals, and every mustache-twirling villain. Dr. Anthony M. Bean's new book, SURPASSING THE LIMIT BREAK: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FINAL FANTASY, explores the elements of psychological science that permeate these fantasy worlds, from trauma, to life and death, holistic crystals, and even gender identity and subtypes. If you've ever wanted to know how Final Fantasy's stories interact with our brains, he's the guy to listen to. Buy Surpassing the Limit Break: The Psychology of Final Fantasy at leylinepublishing.com Follow Dr. Bean: @ VideoGameDoc on Twitter Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop on Twitter Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Support our musician at zwbuckley.com

Decades after movies like The Thing and The Blob, why does the body horror genre still fascinate fans? Even better, how do you translate the experience of being a ravenous, sentient ball of spaghetti and meatballs into a video game? Krzysztof Chomicki, game and level designer on Carrion, is here to tell us how he and the team at Phobia Game Studios designed a "reverse-horror" game where YOU are the monster. Joe and Krzysztof dive into the roots of body and cosmic horror, why the Polish have such a dark sense of humor, and the development of Carrion from idea to a massively fun metroidvania game. Carrion is out now on PC, Switch, and Game Pass. Follow The 1099: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWbuckley.com

Kahlief Adams (Spawn on Me) and Riana Manuel (What's Good Games, Xbox) join the 1099 to discuss how code-switching impacts the video game industry, particularly when we're all working from home because of COVID-19. Hear Joe, Kahlief, and Riana talk about struggling to find comfortable niches in the workplace when there are so few black people to be found in games and tech jobs, how letting coworkers and bosses see into their home lives on Zoom calls changes the way we live our formerly private lives, and what games depict the realities of code-switching with some accuracy. Follow Riana: https://twitter.com/RianaTweetsNow Lend your support to Spawn On Me: https://twitter.com/SpawnOnMe Follow Kahlief: https://twitter.com/kahjahkins Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/JosephKnoop Follow The 1099: https://twitter.com/The1099Podcast Follow Whats Good Games: https://twitter.com/WhatsGood_Games Spawn On Me's "A Lesson in Blackness: https://youtu.be/3SOlT1x8WXs

SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US PART 2 The lovely Natalie Flores joins the 1099 to gush all about Naughty Dog's latest post-apocalypse journey, including its treatment of LGBTQ+ characters, violence, and racial diversity.

Rafal Bryks had no idea what he was doing for the majority of Yes, Your Grace's long development, but he and the rest of the team at Brave at Night managed to create a fascinating little kingdom simulator where you're listening to the demands and pleas of your subjects while also taking care of your family and preparing for war. Mondays, am I right? Rafal joins the show to discuss how Game of Thrones' popularity influenced Yes, Your Grace's development, how to blend seemingly disparate styles of gameplay, and some of the other tough lessons from a five-year dev cycle. If you'd like to lend your support to the Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality movements, here are some excellent organizations to support: Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/ Movement For Black Lives: https://m4bl.org/ Black Voters Matter: https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org/ National Council for Incarcerated Women and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls: https://www.nationalcouncil.us/donation Survived and Punished: https://www.alliedmedia.org/survived-and-punished/donate Highlander Center: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1417777 Fund for Black Newspapers: https://www.localmedia.org/journalism-fund-for-black-newspapers/ More resources: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/6/9/21281538/how-to-donate-to-black-lives-matter-charity

Stephanie Tinsley has had one hell of a career, from the early days of somehow getting to touch Brittney Spears' butt in a conga line, to living through the Enron scandal, and finally diving into the world of video game PR and all of its absolutely batshit shenanigans. Stephanie joins the show to discuss the wilder side of her years coming up in the business, the heartbreak you experience when a game's community comes together for something beautiful, and playing ping-pong with Pink and Billy Idol.

Cloudpunk is one of my favorite games of the year, so of course I had to have writer and narrative designer Thomas Welsh on to discuss how he helped Ion Lands build a cyberpunk world of floating cars, towering skyscrapers, and talking dog AI companions that are also your car. We talk about what it's like to go from authoring science fiction books to writing your first video game, how he developed some of the awesome characters you find in the game, and how you make a cyberpunk story that tries to do things a little differently, and what lessons he's learned from the experience. For anyone interested in the craft of game writing or world building, you should absolutely check this episode out. SUPPORT THE 1099: Review the show wherever you watch us and share it out on social media! FOLLOW JOE: @ JosephKnoop SUPPORT OUR MUSICIAN: ZWBuckley.com

It's a review show! This week, Mr. John Phipps from SGDC and Red Bull's Jake Tucker join to dish all about the legacy of Final Fantasy 7 and what the Remake does right and wrong, how Gears Tactics is the best XCOM game in a year that already has one, and how Cloudpunk is giving off all sorts of big Blade Runner vibes. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Follow SDGC: @ OfficialSDGC Follow John: @ MisterMegative Follow Jake: @ _JakeTucker Leave a review of the show if you like it and share it around on Twitter. Let us know what you think of our very correct opinions. Music: ZWBuckley.com.

Michael Chu -- lead writer of Overwatch and game designer on World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and more -- joins the show to talk about his 20 years at Blizzard developing some of the world's most influential games, his love for Tolkien and Star Wars, and all the lessons he learned trying to build the incredible world of Overwatch. It's an extra-length helping of game development and story design discussion, and even though I say this all the time, it truly was my favorite episode yet. Remember to subscribe to The 1099 for more podcasts from your favorite people in the game dev and games media worlds. Follow The 1099 on Twitter: @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe: @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: ZWBuckley.com

LudoNarraCon is celebrating its second year! What's LudoNarraCon? It's the coolest all-digital convention that celebrates the best of narrative-focused indie games like Neo Cab, HypnoSpace Outlaw, Sam Barlow's Telling Lies, or *checks notes* Boyfriend Dungeon. Chris Wright, founder of indie publisher Fellow Traveller (who also runs LudoNarraCon) joins the show to talk about how the show comes together on Steam's homepage, why narrative games are having a modern renaissance, and what kinds of struggles indie developers face when trying to get their game noticed. If you want to hear plenty of game business talk, this is the show for you. LUDONARRACON IS APRIL 24 - 27 on the Steam homepage. More info: https://www.ludonarracon.com/ Support the 1099: Follow us on Twitter @ The1099Podcast Follow Joe on Twitter @ JosephKnoop Support our musician: zwbuckley.com