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Today I am talking with Alex and Kelsey Beachum, the creative director and writer behind Outer Wilds. I previously interviewed Alex and Kelsey separately, but I took a punt on asking if they'd have a chat with me about their childhood and the creative inspiration that eventually led to Outer Wilds.

This is a much more personal deep dive than usual, digging into the joy of play that led them down the path of wanting to make video games. Alex and Kelsey are such generous and lovely people, and it's always such a pleasure to chat to them.

We discuss everything from making real life video games out of Duplo to their deep love of Zelda, and what it's like being a brother and sister team working on a video game.

#outerwilds #gaming #gamingpodcast

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

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Today I'm talking with Bennett Foddy, creator of QWOP, GIRP, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, and co-creator of Baby Steps. Bennett's games are known for torturing players, but today I get to deep dive into the philosophy behind his design choices, and they run a lot deeper than you might think.

Bennett is incredibly thoughtful and considered when it comes to players, which might surprise you considering the challenges he puts in their way. In this interview, we talk a lot about player expectations, the value of difficulty in video games, and what he hopes to give players who persevere with his games.

#gettingoverit #babysteps #bennettfoddy #gaming #gamingpodcast

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Hi all, Steven Lake here from The Examined Game. So i've had a couple weeks where i've been short of a guest but I didn't want to leave you totally hanging so I thought i'd have a chat with you all about the new Resident Evil movie, how Star Wars Zero Company has saved me from a bad save scumming habit and to get really honest with you about my addiction to buying and not playing Assassin's Creed games.

I'm trying to get a good work flow in place so i'm not missing weeks so please do bear with me and i've got some great guests lining up for the next few weeks!

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Technoblade Never Dies Documentary Announcement: https://youtu.be/Lj0mDrEKSmA?si=N0pV54fYQg5HlnxF
Variety Piece: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/technoblade-never-dies-documentary-minecraft-riot-games-1236850438/

Today my guest on The Examined Game Podcast is me... Steven Lake. Look life has been busy with a few projects and for the first time in 7 months I didn't line up a guest for the podcast. So I thought i'd spend a bit of time telling you what i'm up to outside of the channel (I'm making some movies!) and talk a little bit about the podcast, why I do it, what I love about it etc.

I do talk a little bit about Technoblade Never Dies, the feature documentary I am directing about the life and times of Technoblade and the upcoming film Raised By Dragons directed by Carina Nichaouchine. A Coming of age dungeons and Dragons documentary.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I am talking with Jon Ingold, co-founder of Inkle Studios. Inkle have brought us some incredible adventure games over the years, including 80 Days, TR-49, Heaven’s Vault, Expelled and Overboard. This discussion was part of Telltale Games’ Choices Matter Festival, which premiered on Steam back in August. They gave myself and Jon the opportunity to dive into all the potential that comes from great choice making in video games. We cover everything from The Walking Dead through to Jon’s own catalogue of games. It was such an honour to participate in this event with Telltale Games. I am such a huge fan of their work. Enjoy!

#thewalkingdeadtelltale #gaming #inklestudios #thelastexpress #80days

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I am talking with Carrie Patel, director of Avowed, who worked on the Pillars of Eternity series as well as The Outer Worlds while working at Obsidian.

I've long wanted to have a discussion around the direction that Obsidian decided to take with its RPGs by making games that actually get released! So we talk about the scope and ambition that went into making a game like Avowed, how Obsidian made an RPG that could stand on its own two legs and separate itself from the Skyrims of the world, and how crucial good writing and quest design are when you are reducing scope elsewhere, such as removing in-depth crime and murder mechanics.

Much like when I spoke with Josh Sawyer, Carrie just exuded so much love and joy for video games, both the ones she has played and the ones she works on. We also discuss the pathway she took from author, to video game writer, to directing one of the biggest RPGs of recent years.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I’m talking with Sean Velasco, creator of Hollow Knight and Mina the Hollower.

Mina was my first Soulslike. That might sound strange, given the genre’s reputation for brutal difficulty, but Mina came with a whole range of modifiers designed to make the game more accessible.

The funny thing is, I never ended up using them. Instead, I persevered.

So I wanted to talk to Sean about the philosophy behind Mina, the idea of making a Soulslike that could be accessible to everyone, and why that approach can be surprisingly controversial.

We also talk about the huge risk Yacht Club Games took as Mina’s ambition and scope continued to grow, and what happens when a small studio decides to aim much, much bigger.

#minathehollower #soulslike #gamingpodcast #zeldalike

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today on The Examined Game, I'm talking with Mark Darrah, who spent over two decades at BioWare. Mark was part of the studio's early days as it took a huge risk on the original Baldur's Gate. He then helped shepherd the studio through a series of hits, including Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2, and was an integral part of helping to launch the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series.

This is such a fascinating insight into the ups and downs that come with monumental success in the games industry. Mark talks about the lessons learned from being part of one of the world's biggest AAA studios, and the lessons that newer studios, like Larian (Baldur's Gate 3), could learn from BioWare's experience.

We talk about the failed launch of Anthem and the troubled development behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Mark was so candid and generous with his insights and experience working on these huge projects. It is such a rare insight to get, and I hope you enjoy the episode.
#bioware #masseffect #dragonage #gamingpodcast #gaming #rpg

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.