That’s all folks. Wide Flank has gone on an indefinite hiatus.
For your pleasure, here's a sneak peek of Sean and Alon letting it all hang out on the latest episode of GLHF.
Sean and Alon welcome game designer and artistic soul Ethan Anderson to discuss his pachinko-esque number-go-up 'em up, Nubby's Number Factory!
Clock into the number factory to hear how Ethan designs to encourage player intent and how he balances said intent with chance. Plus! Drop the ball and discover the game's inspirations, from Rube Goldberg to Kid Pix to quotas in a bagel shop. And finally, what makes a game evergreen?
Follow Ethan at:
—
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:32 - Numbers guys
00:03:05 - “The next Balatro”
00:08:43 - Randomness, chance, intent, and viability of runs
00:19:07 - When do you stop? And evergreen games
00:27:01 - The juice
00:31:58 - Circle of trust
00:35:13 - Growth of the game
00:39:56 - Visual aesthetic
00:47:32 - Pulling from real life
00:50:16 - The music and being territorial
00:58:13 - How to stay focused and how to rest
—
SHOW NOTES
—
WIDE FLANK LINKS
It's time to decide our next Game Club!
Shall we race against the clock in a voyage around the globe in 80 Days, or against thirty gaudy characters designed by SEGA for Nintendo in 2003's F-Zero GX?
It's safe to say our Shadows will Die a lot more than Twice in FromSoftware's Sekiro, but maybe we want to LIVE twice with Tux and Fanny!
And then there's the oxymoronically ubiquitous cult classic DELTARUNE: will Alon be able to get the game's window to display properly?
Come on down to the Wide Flank Discord NOW to vote on the next Game Club game: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Sign up for the Patreon and join the ranks of the High Council to submit games for future mini Clubs: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Happy Gaming!
—
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Cold open
00:00:35 - Intro and veto discussion
00:04:44 - Sean’s ranking game
00:07:16 - 80 Days
00:21:19 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
00:35:12 - Tux and Fanny
00:48:16 - F-Zero GX
01:01:31 - DELTARUNE
01:15:26 - More veto discussion
—
SHOW NOTES
Anamanaguchi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anamanaguchi
Around the World in Eighty Days: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_World_in_Eighty_Days
Bloodborne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodborne
Dark Souls: https://store.steampowered.com/app/570940/DARK_SOULS_REMASTERED/
Days of Thunder: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_Thunder
Djent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djent
EarthBound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthBound
F-Zero (1990): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-Zero_(video_game)
Forza: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forza
Jules Verne: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne
Klax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klax_(video_game)
Mario Kart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Kart
A Minecraft Movie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Minecraft_Movie
Mischief Makers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mischief_Makers
Moby-Dick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick
Napoleon Dynamite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Dynamite
Need for Speed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_Speed
Pearl Jam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Jam
The Prodigy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prodigy
"Rubbing Is Racing": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2yOmw781hc
Smite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smite_(video_game)
The Oregon Trail (game series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oregon_Trail_(series)
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Seas
Undertale: https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/
Wipeout: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wipeout_(video_game_series)
—
[Game Club] Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4WLp8EEeFM
[Game Club] Kirby's Dream Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOf1K6ArZtA
[Game Club] Wave Race 64: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE9AC9oeSqw
[mini Club] Eternal Darkness, Mischief Makers, Killer7, Hylics 2, and Star of Providence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HySfv-jHPg0
—
WIDE FLANK LINKS
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
This month's Game Club is, was, and shall forever be: HAL Laboratory's 1994 Kirby-soaked golf-em-up, Kirby's Dream Course!
Sean and Alon go for the pin and dive deep into a studio's long-gestating exploration of the mechanics of golf, discovering what happens when that pink puffball we all know and love floats onto the green.
Is Kirby's Dream Course a hole in FUN?
Fore!
—
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Cold open
00:00:31 - Admin stuff
00:01:11 - Where do we start?
00:02:33 - Is this golf?
00:09:33 - What’s Kirby's Dream Course?
00:11:22 - The punishment for messing around and how do players learn (and get better)
00:24:39 - Tension building
00:26:57 - Not chilling and playful learning
00:27:59 - Adaptation of golf or Kirby or… Special Tee Shot
00:41:06 - Overdesigned?
00:45:53 - Golf caddie
00:47:26 - The power and the guide
00:50:38 - Multiplayer
00:54:27 - What it sounds like
00:56:33 - Information in HAL golf games
01:01:55 - What’s a Kirby Nintendo game?
01:11:43 - ROM hacks
01:13:36 - Outro
—
SHOW NOTES
[Dev Talk] Axyz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYt-bpBG570
[Dev Talk] Once Upon A Galaxy with Andrew Parnell https://youtu.be/Is9l9kDa_lI?si=m09BfXMaiu0xWG4L
Telemelt https://telemelt.com/
The Jeff Gerstmann Show https://www.youtube.com/c/TheJeffGerstmannShow
Hal's Hole in One Golf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal's_Hole_in_One_Golf
Earthbound https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EarthBound
Golf (NES/Famicom) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_(1984_video_game)
Jumbo Ozaki no Hole in One Professional https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Jumbo_Ozaki_no_Hole_in_One_Professional
Kula World https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kula_World
Marble Madness https://archive.org/details/arcade_marble
Mario Golf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Golf_(video_game)
Mario Tennis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Tennis
Special Tee Shot https://snescentral.com/article.php?id=0037
Super Billiards https://www.myabandonware.com/game/super-billiards-mxo
—
LINKS
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
For your pleasure, here's a sneak peek of Sean and Alon letting it all hang out on the latest episode of GLHF.
Subscribe to Wide Flank on Patreon for the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Sean and Alon are joined by Adam Saltsman, co-founder of Finji, designer of Canabalt, and creator of Flixel.
On today's episode, we're discussing Dust Bunny – Adam's 12.5th PICO-8 release since last October!
Hopping off from Dust Bunny, we explore the immediacy of the PICO-8 development environment, designing by playing, and the intimate relationship between designers and players.
Find Adam at:
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adamatomic.bsky.social
itch.io: https://adamatomic.itch.io/
Finji: https://finji.co/
—
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:06 - Describe PICO-8 and designing with PICO-8
00:10:15 - Adam’s design process (for Dust Bunny specifically)
00:18:40 - A curve of discovery and the designer player relationship
00:34:00 - 12.5th PICO game (a quarter of the way to a full UFO50)
00:40:04 - 90% bad ideas
00:46:45 - What do you do to rest?
00:50:05 - Outro and Adam’s links
—
SHOW NOTES
Dust Bunny: https://adamatomic.itch.io/dust-bunny
PICO-8: https://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php
Cave of Cards: https://adamatomic.itch.io/caveofcards
Celeste: https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=11722
Dark Souls: https://store.steampowered.com/app/570940/DARK_SOULS_REMASTERED/
Desktop Dungeons: https://store.steampowered.com/app/226620/Desktop_Dungeons/
Doom: https://archive.org/details/doom-play
Elden Ring: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245620/ELDEN_RING/
Mirror's Edge: https://store.steampowered.com/app/17410/Mirrors_Edge/
Mole Mole: https://adamatomic.itch.io/mole-mole
Prince of Persia: https://archive.org/details/msdos_Prince_of_Persia_1990
PuzzleScript: https://itch.io/games/made-with-puzzlescript
Quake: https://freebie.games/games/quake/play/
Rat Dreams: https://adamatomic.itch.io/rat-dreams
Sokoban: https://www.sokobanonline.com/
Super Mario Maker: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-maker-2-switch/
Tetris: https://play.tetris.com/
UFO 50: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1147860/UFO_50/
Wipeout: https://retroonline.net/DOS/Wipeout
Zachtronics: https://www.zachtronics.com/
—
WIDE FLANK LINKS
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Number go up.
Deckbuilding and Bagbuilding.
Menu games and Parkour games.
—
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 - Intro and number go up (Balatro)
00:04:55 - Describe Nubby's Number Factory and Pachinko
00:11:15 - How does number go up differ from any good roguelike run?
00:15:03 - What do you love about deckbuilding games (bagbuilding, push your luck)?
00:18:56 - One thing that’s holding up Sean
00:20:53 - Describe Luck be a Landlord and what’s inferable
00:32:29 - Aesthetics
00:37:58 - Consistency and skill (and defining bagbuilders)
00:45:13 - Art’s subjective, right?
00:46:52 - What drew Alon to Luck be a Landlord
00:52:44 - Is Nubby’s a menu game or a parkour game?
00:58:28 - Real life anxieties and anti-capitalism
01:00:34 - What Sean likes about these games (number games)
01:07:27 - Outro
—
SHOW NOTES
—
LINKS
It's the crossover event of the century! Book-to-film adaptation freaks Shane and Bennett from the Reel Rap podcast join Sean and Alon for a triple header of mediums.
Book... Movie... Game...
M... Q... EA...
Bond... James Bond...
That's right, we're talking about Ian Fleming's 1957 novel, its 1963 film adaptation, and *its* 2005 game adaptation: *From Russia With Love*.
—
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Reel Rap Intro
00:01:15 - Wide Flank Intro
00:02:58 - Start with the book
00:04:43 - What’s Ian Fleming into?
00:09:52 - The book to movie to game
00:20:48 - Different Bonds for different mediums
00:26:54 - Are we gonna talk about the videogame?
00:41:31 - I wanna be Bond
00:45:32 - The casting / Klebb and Kerim
00:50:10 - Misogyny
00:54:21 - Not knowing what’s going on
01:01:04 - The movie is kinda trash too
01:11:24 - More misogyny
01:14:25 - The prose
01:20:05 - Ratings lol
01:30:04 - Outro
—
Show Notes:
Canyon Passage (ft. Hoagy Carmichael) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_Passage
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_Tailor_Soldier_Spy
—
REEL RAP LINKS
Listen to Reel Rap: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reel-rap/id1792646198
Follow Shane: https://x.com/crealoya
—
WIDE FLANK LINKS
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Wwwwelcome to New Cool, the show where Sean and Alon bring each other a games-and-play-adjacent topic that's new, cool, or both!
On today's episode, Alon splashes around in the visual splendor of the original film adaptation of Super Mario Bros. while Sean contemplates mindfulness through Ball.
DISCORD: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
THE REST: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Timestamps:
Show notes:
Sean and Alon tear through another crop of five delightfully different video entertainment products for less than an hour apiece:
—
Now's your big chance to decide which of the five games we played we'll be covering for the next Game Club! Come on down to the Discord and place your vote: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Want to submit games for future mini Club episodes? Join the ranks of the High Council by subscribing to the Wide Flank Patreon and you'll gain access to an exclusive channel on the Discord: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
THE REST: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
—
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro / Admin
00:04:01 - Sean’s Plan for the Order of the Games
00:09:11 - LOK Digital
00:21:14 - Elevator Action
00:34:32 - Blue Prince
00:47:59 - Kirby’s Dream Course
00:59:56 - Into the Breach
—
Show notes:
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, listening to Wide Flank..."
Sean and Alon are joined by three-peat guest Hayden aka Hac to dive deep into the darkness that lives eternally within us all. This month's Game Club is 2002's Lovecraftian cult classic Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, developed by Silicon Knights and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube.
—
Do YOU want to submit games for Game Club consideration?
Subscribe to the Wide Flank Patreon to join the ranks of The High Council on Discord, TODAY!
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/wideflankDISCORD: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJTHE REST: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
—
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:56 - Admin stuff
00:01:18 - What’d you think of the game overall?
00:03:46 - Game overview
00:05:34 - One character vs different characters
00:08:07 - Repetitive areas and overdesigning
00:11:40 - The different colors (ancients)
00:16:26 - Going insane (diegetic insanity)
00:24:19 - What makes repetition interesting in games?
00:34:11 - The spell system
00:47:12 - How much do you need to learn (onboarding?)
00:52:12 - This is such a Video Game
00:59:35 - The camera
01:03:32 - The sound design and fear
01:11:39 - The ending
01:16:59 - Chapter 9 Boss (Black Guardian)
01:23:30 - Sean Cheats
01:33:33 - Mystery package at the door?
01:35:01 - Another game to add insanity effects to
01:39:06 - Hayden Silicon Knights story
For your pleasure, here's a sneak peek of Sean and Alon letting it all hang out on the latest episode of GLHF.
Subscribe to Wide Flank on Patreon for the full episode! https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Sean and Alon talk to Nicholas O’Brien about his WarioWare-inspired baby game Bundle Of Joy.
Where does being a designer end and being a Dad begin? The answer may surprise you!
SHOW NOTES
Bundle Of Joy (and demo!) on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3138370/Bundle_of_Joy/
Bundle Of Joy on itch: https://essaygames.itch.io/bundle-of-joy
Nicholas’ studio, Essay Games: https://www.essay-games.com/
Follow Essay Games on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/essaygames.bsky.social
Bundle Of Joy’s music composed by Ethan Desautels aka DonutShoes: https://soundcloud.com/donutshoes
Worlds Collide - Final Fantasy VI Randomizer: https://ff6worldscollide.com/
Flow on Max: https://play.max.com/movie/83df1c2b-db9d-49cd-bf83-9ddbaa7e5e30
WIDE FLANK LINKS
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The rest: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
It’s another New Cool, the Wide Flank show where Alon and Sean bring each other a New and/or Cool gaming-adjacent topic to talk about!
In this episode, Sean likes Klondike solitaire but LOVES Sawayama Solitaire, and Alon thinks Monster Hunter’s rise to prominence is both good and cool.
--
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro / admin
04:47 - Sean’s topic: Klondike solitaire
31:45 - Alon’s topic: Monster Hunter
55:43 - Outro
--
Show notes:
Solitaire (Sawayama Rules) - https://www.watsonbrosgames.com/solitaire/--
Support us and help us pay for games and stuff at: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Wide Flank discord!!! https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
All Wide Flank links: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Welcome to mini Club!!!
Sean and Alon played five games for less than 60 minutes each. In this episode, they discuss all of those games for under 12 minutes each. And now, it's your turn to head to our Discord and vote on which game should get a full Game Club episode!
Join the Wide Flank discord and rock the vote: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro / Admin
00:01:10 - Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
00:13:23 - Mischief Makers
00:25:41 - Killer7
00:37:56 - Hylics 2
00:50:05 - Star of Providence
01:02:20 - Outro and what’s a Game Club
—
Support us and help us pay for games and stuff at: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
All Wide Flank links: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Sean and Alon are joined by Mark Robinson of Ireland-based Space Lion Studios to discuss their new vaporwave 3D puzzle game, Axyz, a spiritual successor to Kula World.
The demo’s live and free and you should check it out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2850490/Axyz/
Check out Hyphinett: https://hyphin.net
And follow Mark here: https://bsky.app/profile/lithiumproject.bsky.social
---
Support Wide Flank and help us pay for games and stuff at: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Wide Flank discord: https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
All Wide Flank links: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Fiveish minutes from the latest Patreon episode.
Listen to the full episode at https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
The five games that we’ll be playing for the debut mini Club are:
It’s another New Cool, the Wide Flank show where Alon and Sean bring each other a New and/or Cool gaming-adjacent topic to talk about!
In this episode, Alon presents us with an old classic board game and why it’s interesting and cool, and Sean attempts to figure out why and how to adapt a piece of work into another medium.
Support us and help us pay for games and stuff at: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Wide Flank discord!!! https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
All Wide Flank links: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
--
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:15 - New show and new Patreon show announcements
03:04 - Alon’s topic: Backgammon (and the doubling cube)
34:17 - Sean’s topic: Adaptations (not the movie)
--
Show notes:
How to Play Mancala - https://youtu.be/OX7rj93m6o8?si=tMTgdWj3XCw88LQb
taking the mountain by backgammon strategy by dan davies: https://substack.com/inbox/post/157139639
Ben Brode talking about the doubling cube at GDC (when prototyping Marvel Snap): https://youtu.be/HjhsY2Zuo-c?si=IHbwJ7NYF1G2WQy5&t=434
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (video game) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bram_Stoker's_Dracula_(video_game)
Master of Darkness - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Darkness
You gotta remember to play the game! It’s fun to roleplay Indiana Jones and it’s fun to screw around. That’s all you need to know. Let’s dive in.
Support us and help us pay for games and stuff at: https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Wide Flank discord!!! https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
All Wide Flank links: https://linktr.ee/wideflank
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:20 - Adapting the man himself
00:07:00 - What is an Indiana Jones game?
00:10:33 - The whip and f**king around
00:15:57 - Is it an exploration game? Is it open world?
00:20:44 - The stealth stuff
00:26:49 - What’s the core of the game?
00:32:38 - The camera and the fidelity
00:39:25 - Environmental puzzles
00:43:39 - Immersive sims and Hitman
00:49:29 - Celebrating the cutscenes a little
00:52:55 - Why is this a game? Story + game
01:00:50 - Slow game and easy mode and mass appeal
01:09:15 - The sounds
01:13:44 - It’s getting better and better
Sean and Alon are joined by Prashast Thapan to discuss Pariah Interactive’s new 3D platformer 1000 Deaths, where your choices matter!
Get the free 1000 Deaths demo and wishlist the game:https://store.steampowered.com/app/1141260/1000_Deaths_Thousand_Deaths/
---
Support Wide Flank and help us pay for games and stuff at:https://www.patreon.com/wideflank
Join the Wide Flank discord!!!https://discord.gg/ACbDjNhMpJ
All Wide Flank links:https://linktr.ee/wideflank
---
Show notes:
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croc:_Legend_of_the_Gobbos
Crash Bandicoot -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_Bandicoot
Spyro -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyro
Super Mario Odyssey -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Odyssey
Super Mario Galaxy -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Galaxy
A Hat in Time -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hat_in_Time
Celeste -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeste_(video_game)
Neon White -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_White
Common Opera -https://www.commonopera.com/
RaFia Santana -https://raf-i-a.tumblr.com/
Blake Andrews -https://pbjabcusa.com/
And you can find the rest of the team for 1000 Deaths at:https://pariah.in/1000deathspresskit/sheet.php?p=1000_deaths