Back again to discuss games we've been playing with Shelby! We talk Song of Bloom, Fall Guys, We Love Katamari, Space Channel 5, and Starcraft II!

Even decades later, the legacy of the NES draws developers to making new games for it. In this week's interview Bill talks with one such person Donny Phillips regarding the game Project Blue, the varying eras of retro gaming, and the feeling of creating a physical cartridge!

Cliff is here again to talk about the games he and Bill have been playing! They cover Raft, The Outer Wilds, Satisfactory, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Kuukiyomi: Consider It, and Death Come True!

From the mind of Channel 101 alum and Sinfeld Chronicles creator Austin Stock, we have a game about New York from someone who has never visited! Bill and Austin talk baked hard drives, working for Nickelodeon, and the unexpected directions development has taken.

This week Brandon has been playing the latest hits with Ghost of Tsushima and Paper Mario: The Origami King, plus checking out the classic Warioware Inc.! Meanwhile Bill has picked out some older titles in Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight and Tales from the Borderlands, plus the "old new" game Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2!

After completing the futuristic racer Desert Child, Oscar Brittain has mulliganed into Kardboard Kings, a trading card store management simulator! Bill calls on his Magic: the Gathering experience to ask the hard questions about this extremely unique game scenario.

Di is back to talk about the games we've been playing! Final Fantasy XV (there's a new book!), The Haunted Island a Frog Detective game, Later Alligator, Her Story, and Roundabout!

With Panzer Paladin's official launch tomorrow, I checked back in with Tribute Games to talk with game / level designer Fred Gemus! We discuss the game's sophisticated weapon system, how to pace an action game, and his 3 (3!) complete system libraries he's collected.

Time for a check-in on what games Bill and Shelby have been playing lately! You'll hear about the Isle of Armor expansion to Pokemon Sword / Shield, Waltz of the Wizard, Vice Project Doom, Wild Arms, Steamworld Heist, and Rock Band 4!

Sometimes a game is a cartridge. Sometimes a game is a disc. Sometimes a game is a paper shredder, or five people with buttons on their chest. For the latter two, I've spoken with Alistair Aitcheson about his work on The Book Ritual, his multiple live theater shows that integrate video games, and more!

The recent release of the Turbo-Grafx 16 Mini has rekindled Bill and Cliff's nostalgia for their childhood gaming system! They talk through their early gaming memories, some games to try out (even if they're not in English!), and some games to avoid. Johnny Turbo would be proud!

Starting back in 2012, the Indie MEGABOOTH has given a diverse group of indie game devs a platform to show off their work until recently going on hiatus. This week Bill talks with the founder Kelly Wallick about the early days of the booth, curating hundreds of applicants, and the challenges of setting up shop all around the world!

We're back to talk about more games we've been playing! Brandon Shockney and Bill discuss Persona 5 Royal, Splatoon 2, Monster Prom, Rocket League, Skribbl.io, and Final Fantasy VI!

This week Bill welcomes Bennett Tyler of Bomb Shelter games to talk about his team's upcoming game Depths of Sanity. They talk about innovating within the Metroidvania genre, how to set a game 8,000 feet underwater, and the bond he and his teammates share through online gaming.  

Stopping by with more games we've been playing! Cliff Murphy and I talk about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Ratchet and Clank (2016), Call of Duty Modern Warfare Warzone, and Resident Evil 3.

If it really is the "final" fantasy, is there really need for a remake? Di Billick, Eric Garneau, and Bill have decided the answer is "yes", and they've gone and talked about everything they love about this recent release. We're talking about everything to do with both the original and the new hotness, so spoilers abound!

No, I didn't leave off a letter. This week Di and I will be talking one game only: Final Fantasy VII Remake. Check out our NON-SPOILER discussion of the game and what we like / don't like about it, and keep an eye out for a SPOILER discussion coming next week!

We Should Talk is perhaps the most sophisticated and granular look at dialogue in gaming out there, and this week Bill, Carol Mertz, and Jordan Jones-Brewster, discuss the game, their work on the Pixel Pop Festival, and their go-to duet karaoke song!

Shelby returns to the podcast to talk about the games we've been playing! We cover Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Human Fall Flat, Beat Saber, Ringfit Adventure DLC, Murder By Numbers, Persona 3 / 5 Dancing by ___light, and Super Mario RPG!

Reconnecting the isolated fruits of a a village (or an orchard?), Garden Story's charm is embodied in Rose City Game's Community Manager Jenny Windom. In this week's interview we discuss the Portland indie gaming scene, working from home, and the inimitable Broccowilli Broccolewis.

Brandon returns this week to talk about his time with Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Afterparty, while Bill talks Bury Me, My Love and Return of the Obra Dinn. Plus they've both been playing the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo and Man of Medan and are comparing notes!

Flying power disc action returns! The Neo Geo cult classic will finally receive a well-deserved sequel soon, and DotEmu Game Designer Jordi Ascensio is on this week to discuss the game's history, new additions, and improving on what he considers a perfect game!

Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney is back on to discuss the brand new Apple TV show Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet on Screenwatching!

So they're finally here, interviewing for you
Bill says the words, and the guests do too
Put your hands together, if you want to clap
As we take you through this PAX recap!

Back with Part 2 of my trip to PAX: demos, Magic, GDQ, and more interviews!

A few new games to play this week: Di is grinding on slimes in Dragon Quest XI, while Bill explores group dynamics and mysteries with Zanki Zero: Last Beginning and The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan!

In the same vein as installation art, Seemingly Pointless - the team of James and Joe Cox - work on installation games that are experienced at festivals nationwide. Bill talks with them about their current project eCheese Zone, the unique challenges their work faces, and more!

Plus, Di Billick returns so we can watch James Bond play a deadly video game in Never Say Never Again!

Screenwatching: Never Say Never Again (2:15)
Interview: James and Joe Cox (25:41)

Another check-in on the games being played, this week with Bliff and Cill, I mean Bill and Cliff! We're chatting Disco Elysium, the new character in Slay the Spire, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

The scope of retro has fully expanded to include the Game Boy Color, and Ashley's new action puzzler Petal Crash is a novel puzzler set in that style! Her fundraising included the addition of 3 characters to the game; hear her explain that process plus much more!

The ancient world of Fodlan is full of mysteries; sometimes, one 80 hour playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses isn't enough! Luckily, Bill is joined by Cliff Murphy and Alex Richmond to get into their favorite moments plus answer a few burning questions, like how does Byleth find room for 9 lunches in a day?

Shelby is welcomed back to the show that never ends! We talked about Pokemon Sword / Shield, Baba is You, Control, and Metro Exodus!

Frequent podcast guest Ian Beckman returns for an extended interview this week! Bill has chatted with Ian previously about his team Big Sir Games and their work on Cosmo's Quick Stop, but here they get into the games previous iterations, the challenges of marketing, and more!

Meanwhile, frequent podcast Shelby Mongan subjects her and Bill to the craptacular wonders of Bibleman for this week's Screenwatching!

Screenwatching: Bibleman (4:03)
Interview: Ian Beckman (54:41)

A new week and some new games what we've been playing! Di and I discuss Dragon Quest XI, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and more!

Instant messages and social media: Kyle Seeley's Emily is Away series is a whole different kind of "online gaming". He joins Bill to talk about maintaining the historical accuracy of Facebook, working as a solo developer, and other games that use online communication to tell their story!

Meanwhile, Bill and Di Billick get a crash course in early-00's teenage sitcoms when they take on Drake and Josh for Screenwatching!

Screenwatching: Drake and Josh (2:06)
Interview: Kyle Seeley (24:12)
Bill's Magic Minute (44:30)

Toss a coin to Brandon Shockney as he joins Bill this week to talk about their favorite games from 2019! Plus a special Screenwatching segment looking at the hot new Netflix series The Witcher!

Some games we've been playing! Happy Holidays! Games played: Borderlands 3, One Night Stand, Gato Roboto, Ringfit Adventure

The maturation of the video game industry includes the growth of game design education; this week, Bill is joined by Columbia College Chicago's David Antognoli to discuss it! We look at David's industry experience, his transition into the education field, and how he teaches such a rapidly developing field.

Once again it's time for games games games video games! Cliff and Bill discuss Terraforming Mars, accessibility options in Mario Kart, Titanfall 2, and Ringfit Adventure!

A potential standout in the Metroidvania genre, Starsoft's Savior is being made by an eclectic mix of people, and Weston Tracy explains to me the projects origins, his hopes for its story and message, and the scrapped (?) dancing mechanic!

In Screenwatching, Cliff Murphy and Bill go over an Emmy winner in the South Park episode Make Love Not Warcraft!

Screenwatching: South Park (3:45)
Interview: Weston Tracy (29:15)
Bill's Magic Minute (55:44)

For the 3rd year in a row Chicago's Logan Theatre held their Community Playtest Night, where local game makers are able to demo their work for indy game fans and theatre-goers alike. Listen in to this live event recording of several presenters on their amazingly unique work!

We're back with Brandon to talk about the games we've been playing! We chat The Outer Worlds, Untitled Goose Game, Undertale, What the Golf?, Pinball Wizard, and Assemble with Care.

Chris Bashen has been a guest on So Many Bits several times to talk about video games, but did you know he makes them too? He's the guy behind the (digital) guy: he's been The Joker, Firestorm Shang Tsung, and more as a motion-capture actor with Netherrealm! We took a very cool look at the behind the scenes of the cutscenes in some of the past decade's most cinematically ambitious games.

The Amazing World of Gumball had their own ambitious take on Final Fantasy VII, and Brandon Shockney and Bill talk about it in this episode's Screenwatching!

Screenwatching: The Amazing World of Gumball (1:55)

Interview: Chris Bashen (25:05)

Bill's Magic Minute (59:16)

Di Billick is here to chat about some games! Games played: Habitica, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Persona Q2, Trauma Team, Dicey Dungeons

Games were played and bits were made with Dan Schiffmacher! We talked about Gato Roboto, Box-Boy and Box-Girl, Resident Evil 0, and Fatal Frame.

Not one, not two, but six(!) unique movement mechanics are at the core of Zero Percent Juice's Worldline. The team's lead designer Trevor takes Bill through the team's formation, the plans for the game, and the challenges of a Kickstarter campaign.

Given the podcast's motto of Have a Great Summer, Di Billick's choice of Phineas and Ferb for Screenwatching is perfect!

Screenwatching: Phineas and Ferb (1:30)
Interview: Trevor (16:08)
Bill's Magic Minute (37:20)

Lucy Morris and Calliope Ryder are on this week to talk about the upcoming game Best Friend Forever from their studio Starcolt! Hear about the game design aspects of a relationship simulator, what it's like to be emailed by CNN at 3:30 in the morning, and the ethical consumption of Pokemon.

Plus, Dan Schiffmacher helps Bill grunt through an episode of Home Improvement for Screenwataching!

Screenwatching: Home Improvement (1:32)
Interview (Lucy + Calliope): (19:48)
Bill's Magic Minute: (52:55)

Back home now, Shelby Mongan joins me on this episode to get into the video game portions of my trip. What games did I play on the 25 hours of airline travel? What was Akihabara like? Did I pick up any interesting swag? That plus some tips for planning your own trip to Japan right here!

I was very privileged to take a one week vacation to Japan recently and am back to share some stories from my travels! This week in Part 1 I'll run down the various sights I saw, while next week we'll get into some travel tips and the games I played!

Bit Bash was bigger and better than ever this year, and Luis Badillo and I tell you about the event straight from MSI in Chicago! Many of these games can't be experienced anywhere else so listen here for our impressions!

The games we've been playing! Overwatch, Borderlands 2, Persona Q2, and more!

Dogs. Puppers. Bork Factories. Everyone* loves them, and their care is critical work often handled through shelters across the US and beyond. Little Rock Games is working on a game that goes into the challenges of such an operation right now, and Olivia Dunlap joins me this week to chat about To the Rescue! We also crown the greatest fictional dog of all time after rigorous scientific analysis.

Plus, Chris Arneson helps me tackle a classic Simpsons episode during Screenwatching!

Screenwatching: The Simpsons (1:10)
Interview: Olivia Dunlap (27:12)
Bill's Magic Minute (1:02:55)

*Cats are not part of everyone

This week Shelby gave me my regular dose of Overwatch news plus we got in deep on a recent release! Games played: Borderlands 2 - Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC, Overwatch, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Aarne Hunziker a.k.a. Meka Skull is my guest on this week's podcast! Aarne's upcoming game Cyber Shadow is inspired by his passion for 8-bit games, and we talk about the process from animation to zdifficulty!

Shelby Mongan also stops by for the Screenwatching mouthful The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episode The Day of Sagittarius!

Screenwatching: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (5:25)
Interview: Aarne Hunziker / Meka Skull (34:10)
Bill's Magic Minute (49:22)

Cliff Murphy joins me once again to talk about a few games that have been taking up quite a bit of his time! Games played: Slay the Spire, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Starbound, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus.

200! 200 episodes of So Many Bits, and to celebrate we have two returning guests. Harris Foster of Finji returns to the show to discuss the expanding landscape for indy games such as their title Overland, what makes a game like Wilmot's Warehouse "Finji", and the subculture of the gamer performance arts!

Meanwhile, my original co-host Cliff Murphy is back to chat about the surreal horror of Black Mirror in Screenwatching. It's just like Super Mario Bros.!

Screenwatching: Black Mirror (4:21)
Interview: Harris Foster (38:50)
Bill's Magic Minute (1:24:47)

Brandon Shockney returns on this week's episode to talk about the games we've been playing! Games played: Cuphead, Arms, Final Fantasy VII, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty.

Hype! How do you build it, where does it come from? This week we talk to Sandrine Bédard-Brisson, Community Manger over at Tribute Games about building an audience for your indy title, plus some chat on the Overwatch League!

Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney tells us what happens when you do the time warp again.. no not that one... when we chat about Back to the Future Part II!

Screenwatching: Back to the Future Part II (1:07)
Interview: Sandrine Bédard-Brisson (19:45)
Bill's Magic Minute (47:35)

Chris and Bill beat the heat and talk about some games!

Games played: Firewach, Celeste, Sea of Thieves, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Shantae Half-Genie Hero: Ultimate Edition, Timespinner

The team at Umaiki Games are hard at work on their upcoming game Skellboy, but they threw me Bill a bone and sat down for a chat about their group's formation, Skellboy's origins, and as per usual, their Pokemon picks.

Di Billick and Bill catch up on their recent playtime! Games discussed: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Lords of Thunder, Ninja Spirit, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction

Oh what a beautiful morning! Maggie Herskowitz joins me in our little town of Anatevka to talk about writing on the game Monster Prom, the lovely fanbase that has sprouted around the game, and her upcoming project Witch of the Wilderness, a game that's sure to be Wicked!

Di Billick and I talk about some of our favorite upcoming titles and news from E3 2019!

Luis is back again this week to check in games we've been playing! We cover Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, BattleTech, Elite: Dangerous, and Final Fantasy XIV. 

Tom Sharpe of Gossamer Games is this week's guest on So Many Bits! His team's game Sole has progressed from classwork at Drexel University to a full-fledged release and he's here with the trials and tribulations!

Plus, Luis Badillo tackles perhaps our most ambitious Screenwatching to date, the Second Life themed episode of CSI: NY!

Screenwatching: CSI: NY (1:10)
Interview: Tom Sharpe (37:55)
Bill's Magic Minute (1:08:50)

Fellow Chicagoan William Chyr is on this week's So Many Bits to discuss his team's game Manifold Garden. We talk about solo development, streaming progress on Twitch, and the shared metamorphoses of our given names!

Brandon Shockney also helps out Screenwatching Regular Show for the first time! 

Screenwatching: Regular Show (2:15)
Interview: William Chyr (19:00)
Bill's Magic Minute (43:05)

A special bonus! I recently had the chance to review Dangerous Driving, a recently released PC racing game. Give a quick listen to hear what I think!

Shelby is back to chat Overwatch and the OWL, Subnautica, and Bill tries League of Legends for the first time!