The Secret Lives of Games

We're recapping the 2026 season of our favorite tv show, Flemish De Mol (Season 14). Laura, Jey, and Doug tango with Episode 1 and share their Mole suspicions. Join us on the Discord for tips on how to watch, chat about the episodes, and to play a Mol guessing game with us. Links: Ep 122: Finding Decency in Reality with Gilles De Coster (De Mol) https://secretlives.games/122-finding-decency-in-reality-with-gilles-de-coster-de-mol TSLOG Interview with Wouter Verstichel https://secretlives.games/eggplant-tv-plays-de-mol-2025-season-interview-with-wouter-verstichel TSLOG (formerly "Eggplant") De Mol 2024 recap series https://www.patreon.com/tslog https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

We're joined by Chris Plante (Besties, Post Games), Hayden "Docky" Scott-Baron (Planet Coaster), and Rand Hall (voicemailer extraordinaire, Zaga-33 guide writer) for the fourth title in our year of All Systems Brough, a year-long exploration of the work of Michael Brough: Zaga-33. This episode: Zaga-33 Next Month: Corrypt (and Lost Levels) Audio edited by Dylan Shumway. Discussed in this episode: Zaga-33 https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/04/zaga-33.html 868-BACK (Next Fest demo on February 23rd, 2026!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/3304110/868BACK/ Michael Brough's Website https://www.smestorp.com/ The Besties https://www.themcelroy.family/podcasts/besties/ Post Games https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/post-games/id1815131711 Rand's Zaga-33 Guide https://discord.com/channels/690388280767807518/1442555333091262566/1475568523018371295 Drop7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop7 Desert Golfing https://store.steampowered.com/app/757040/Desert_Golfing/ 7 Day Roguelike (7DRL) version of Zaga-33 https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/03/7drl-zaga-33.html Assorted comments on Zaga-33 https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/05/zaga-33-assorted-comments.html Blog about scoring in games https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/05/score-comment-threads-dominant.html Brick101 Review of all 36 combo powers in Zaga-33 https://brick101.com/reviewing-all-36-combo-powers-in-zaga-33/ Blog about iOS sale numbers https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/06/ios-sale-numbers.html Follow-up blog on iOS sales numbers https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/06/because-we-may-results.html Blog on zaga, score, expressivity, and personality https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/08/zaga-score-expressivity-personality.html Blog on creating advancement in roguelikes https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2013/03/7drl-day-2.html 7 Day Roguelike website https://7drl.com/ PRACTICE 2013: Michael Brough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4iswqa8r-Q https://secretlives.games/ https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow

Recorded live from the Game Developers Conference 2026! They gave us time in the Official Podcast Box, so we made the most of it discussing the process of writing for the IGF Awards, reflecting on the culture of GDC, and even having a couple surprise guests drop in. Let's get loose! Audio edited by Dylan Shumway Discussed in this episode: Scripto https://scripto.live/ Starfriends https://shop.brainfruit.studio/products/starfriends-card-game 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoH4EmfB4Z4 Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet https://store.steampowered.com/app/205730/Insanely_Twisted_Shadow_Planet/ Dustbiters https://dustbiters.com/ Tooth and Tail https://store.steampowered.com/app/286000/Tooth_and_Tail/ Brogue https://sites.google.com/site/broguegame/ Caves of Qud https://www.cavesofqud.com/ Monaco 2 https://store.steampowered.com/app/1063030/Monaco_2/ https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

Doug and Rob are joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis) and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) chat with Ben Rausch (Team Lazerbeam) and Anja Venter (Free Lives) about the Playtopia Festival for Indie Games & Immersive Arts that they help organize. They discuss some of the Festival's origins, the logistics of producing in-person games events, the state of alt-control/arts-focused games events around the world, the relationship between South African culture and Playtopia's structure, the importance of showing the new generation how to create these spaces, the balance of growing and maintaining a festival community, and more! Audio edited by Dylan Shumway Discussed in this episode: Playtopia Festival https://playtopiafestival.co.za/about/ Shroom and Gloom https://teamlazerbeam.itch.io/shroom-and-gloom Jamming to map creative scenes and practices by Anya Venter https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02681102.2023.2281423 A MAZE Festival https://2026.amaze-berlin.de/ The future of public game arts festivals and non-commercial games culture by Robert Yang https://www.blog.radiator.debacle.us/2026/02/the-future-of-public-game-arts.html Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant https://grants.draknek.org/ Don't Get Your Hopes Up https://store.steampowered.com/app/3795490/Dont_Get_Your_Hopes_Up/ boshi's place https://boshis.place/events/ Glitch City https://glitch.city/ Blood on the Clocktower https://bloodontheclocktower.com/?country=US Pro Jank Footy https://store.steampowered.com/app/3621330/Pro_Jank_Footy/ Plum Road Tea Dream https://store.steampowered.com/app/3206340/Plum_Road_Tea_Dream/ Plum Road Tea Dream (Performance) https://plum-road-tea-dream.com/#performance Dressmaker https://store.steampowered.com/app/4019220/Dressmaker/ Cozy Lives Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cozylivesgames/reels/ Free Lives Discord https://discord.com/invite/freelives Sex with Friends https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/3407070/ Wee Boats https://store.steampowered.com/app/3578080/Wee_Boats/ Relooted https://store.steampowered.com/app/3255890/Relooted/ Cadence https://store.steampowered.com/app/362800/Cadence/ Starfriends https://starfriends.online Playtopia 2025 Showcased Games https://playtopiafestival.co.za/games-2025/ https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog

Rob and Zach chat with Joonas Turner (Downwell, Noita, Cult of the Lamb), Jukio Kallio (Fall Guys, Minit, Dave the Diver), and Jan Willem "JW" Nijman (Super Crate Box, Ridiculous Fishing, Minit) about their landmark twin-stick wasteland shooter, Nuclear Throne, and its recent blowout 10th anniversary update. They discuss reopening a project after a decade, balancing through play, the decision to not implement traditional invincibility frames, the shifting culture of what makes a design "engaging," and more! Audio edited by Dylan Shumway Discussed in this episode: Nuclear Throne https://nuclearthrone.com/ Controls You Can Feel: Putting Tactility Back Into Touch Controls https://youtu.be/OIOitNx9RHI?si=vcV3GCcsiy1W4Efr Spelunky https://www.spelunkyworld.com/ Shoot First https://www.indiedb.com/games/shoot-first Crimsonland https://www.crimsonland.com/ Downwell https://downwellgame.com/ Tormentor x Punisher https://tormentorxpunisher.com/ PAPERHEAD https://store.steampowered.com/app/2680280/PAPERHEAD/ Jukio's Bandcamp https://jukiokallio.bandcamp.com/ https://secretlives.games https://discord.gg/tslog https://www.patreon.com/tslog