indie game garden

Jonny Malks
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breaking down internet apathy by rooting joy in games – interviews with devs and more ❤︎⁠ available on your podcatcher of choice and here: indiegamegarden.transistor.fm

  1. 1d ago

    24 - Piotr Bunkowski of One Rotten Oath

    Piotr Bunkowski is a solo game dev from Gdańsk, Poland that works on various FMV projects. He created his first game “A Trip to Yugoslavia,” an experimental interactive film, in 2016 while he was still in high school. Then, he worked on “Purgatorium: A Family Torn Apart,” a moody murder mystery about tense family dynamics and drug abuse. Now, after a 5 year hiatus, Piotr is back working on a game. This new one is called “One Rotten Oath.” It came out on Steam on November 28th, 2025. One Rotten Oath is a story-driven FMV+FPS hybrid with horror elements. Piotr's GAMES!One Rotten Oath: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3902710/One_Rotten_Oath/ Purgatorium, A Family Torn Apart: https://piotr-bunkowski.itch.io/purgatorium-a-family-torn-apartA Trip to Yugoslavia: https://store.steampowered.com/app/545410/A_Trip_to_Yugoslavia_Directors_Cut/ Piotr's MUSIC! duo with his fiance (Niemałe Słabości): https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sNl23kq00MODSjZiQ29n1?si=Dbxuz9xWSoib-X8yHtnWhQduo with his sister (Arkada w Piotrowicach): https://open.spotify.com/artist/2wyNxEc9dW0EFQd0i0xHku?si=jX9wfozHTbugfNi2LqLqqQ

    24 - Piotr Bunkowski of One Rotten Oath

  2. Jul 20

    23 - Willy Picard (AKA Bushmonkey) of The Red Pearls of Borneo

    Willy Picard, AKA Bushmonkey, is a hobbyist developer of free detective mystery games, but that doesn’t quite do him or his interactive experiences justice. Inspired by games like Type Help, Return of the Obra Dinn, The Case of the Golden Idol, and Immortality, Will meticulously crafts experiences that challenge players to make deductive leaps that feel meaningful while not being overly obtuse. Will manages to keep this tenuous balancing going throughout hours-long experiences full of beautiful art, competent writing, and thrilling detective work. As an enjoyer of Will’s genre of choice in particular, I have only played two or three games that I can think of that I would say measure up to his level of craftsmanship and obvious grassroots love for detective fiction. What’s more, Will chooses to provide his games to audiences for free. It’s a genuine joy to have him on the show today. Wishlist Green Mist Over Portland! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4644870/Green_Mist_over_Portland/Check out The Red Pearls of Borneo on Steam! https://store.steampowered.com/app/4488860/The_Red_Pearls_Of_Borneo/Bushmonkey's itch.io page: https://bushmonkey.itch.io/ Read Dead History: https://bookshop.org/p/books/red-dead-s-history-a-video-game-an-obsession-and-america-s-violent-past-tore-c-olsson/38b382c4bccacd1e?ean=9781250287700&next=t&next=t&affiliate=3214

    23 - Willy Picard (AKA Bushmonkey) of The Red Pearls of Borneo

  3. Jul 13

    22 - Mateus of The Last Lodge

    Mateus is from Brazil. He’s the solo developer behind Kusppy Studios and only started programming about 8 months ago, which is wild to me considering that his new game The Last Lodge is a polished work of narrative video game mastery. In it, you complete chores at a medieval inn while uncovering a spooky secret. I won’t say more than that but...wow. It’s replayable, utterly stylish, and very well-rendered. It’s an honor to have Mateus on the show! Go buy The Last Lodge today! Best five bucks you'll ever spend :) https://store.steampowered.com/app/4177430/The_Last_Lodge/?curator_clanid=46044300Mateus' developer page on Steam (give him a follow there): https://store.steampowered.com/developer/Kusppy Kusppy Studios' YouTube channel (where Mateus posts his game trailers): https://www.youtube.com/@KusppyStudiosComatose (the "Brazilian Silent Hill"): https://store.steampowered.com/app/3301370/Comatose/Milanote (the organizing software that Mateus mentioned): https://milanote.com/

    22 - Mateus of The Last Lodge

  4. Jul 6

    21 - Tyler "Zzox" McCarthy of good

    Tyler McCarthy, who goes by Zzox online, is a solo game dev and musician who has completed over 25 game projects during his 8+ years of development. His most recent release is called good. It’s a game which depicts a day in the life of a typical american teenage boy who plays sports and stumbles around a world rendered in quirky 2D pixel art. The linear story has plenty of emotional punch, while the minigames bring me back to my days of miniclip and the smell of summer’s cut grass through the window. Play good on Steam right freaking now! https://store.steampowered.com/app/3165530/good/Check out Tyler's other games on his site: https://zzox.net/games Football 17776: https://www.sbnation.com/a/17776-football Dicey Dungeons: https://store.steampowered.com/app/861540/Dicey_Dungeons/VVVVVV: https://store.steampowered.com/app/70300/VVVVVV/Terry Cavanagh podcast episode: https://secretlives.games/33-making-generous-games-with-terry-cavanaghAnimal Well: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/Billy Basso podcast episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ru/podcast/the-guts-of-indie-with-animal-wells-billy-basso/id1671350556?i=1000769949435Kitty Collector: https://www.nekoatsume.com/en/Travel Frog: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_FrogBaby Steps: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281040/Baby_Steps/Age of Empires II: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813780/Age_of_Empires_II_Definitive_Edition/

    21 - Tyler "Zzox" McCarthy of good

  5. Jun 29

    20 - Adrian Vaughan of The Drifter, PlaySide Studios, and SO much more!

    Adrian Vaughan might just be the most interesting video game guest I can think of, and I’m not just saying that. I invited Adrian on the show after being absolutely stunned by his work on The Drifter, in which he voices multiple characters – none more impactful than the main character, Mick Carter. Listening to Adrian voice Mick changed my perspective on the value, cathartic joy, and emotional resonance that voice acting can bring to a work of art – video game or not. Then, I did a little research. Low and behold, Adrian has voiced characters in a number of other stellar indie games, including Loco Motive, Harold Halibut, and Mouse: P.I. for Hire. But wait! There’s more. He’s also been working as an artist, 3D modeler, and art lead at game studios since 2007. For his day job, Adrian has helped create and ship titles like Civ VII, Shattered, Age of Empires III, Smash Golf, Need For Speed: No Limits, and many, many more. What an absolute gem of a person and practitioner. Adrian's website: https://www.adievaughan.com/Adrian's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/yeoldshrimpeyes.bsky.socialAdrian's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7-YSyr0ribAeGiH-HlBy2A The Inanimate Mr. Coatrack: https://powerhoof.itch.io/the-inanimate-mr-coatrackIntergalactic Wizard Force: https://powerhoof.itch.io/intergalactic-wizard-forceThe Maître D': https://powerhoof.itch.io/the-maitre-dThe Drifter: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1170570/The_Drifter/All of Powerhoof's itch games: https://powerhoof.itch.io/ Fincher: https://nofilmschool.com/david-fincher-filmmaking-styleDeakins: https://infocusfilmschool.com/cinematographer-roger-deakins/RedLetterMedia: https://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia

    20 - Adrian Vaughan of The Drifter, PlaySide Studios, and SO much more!

  6. Jun 22

    19 - Fer of Tossdown

    Fer is the solo developer behind the chaotic and flow-state-inducing delivery roguelike Tossdown. The way I’ve heard Fer describe his game is the stylistic flair of Jet Set Radio meets the action arcade gameplay of Crazy Taxi, and if that’s not fuel for the soul then I don’t know what is. I’m super excited to sit down with Fer to discuss his experience as a Nigerian game developer and how he came up with the idea for the beautiful mix of stylish, sporadic elegance that is Tossdown.  Wishlist Tossdown on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3241560/Tossdown/Check out Fer's itch.io page: https://theferfactor.itch.io/

    19 - Fer of Tossdown

  7. Jun 15

    18 - Matt Fister (AKA Freezebeam) of Realmfold & Towerbound

    Matt Fister is an indie game developer based in Boston, Massachusetts. He goes by the tag Freezebeam and is known for creating surreal bitscapes across genres and modes of play in his games. I’m a particular fan of his shmups: Unseelie Chorus and Escape Wizard. His game Towerbound is perhaps the most clever take on tower defense I’ve seen to date, featuring small tweaks to the tried-and-true formula that change the entire flow of the genre in a way that feels fresh. And his newest game is a peaceful city builder called Realmfold. Go play it now!  Play Realmfold and all of Matt's games on his itch page HERE: https://freezebeam.itch.io/ Check out Domino Grove: https://ezra-szanton.itch.io/domino-groveAND our interview with Domino Grove creator Ezra Szanton here: https://indiegamegarden.transistor.fm/6 Subset Games (creators of Into the Breach and FTL): https://subsetgames.com/Dorfromantik (video game version): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1455840/Dorfromantik/Dorfromantik (board game version): https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/370591/dorfromantik-the-board-gameSol Cesto: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2738490/Sol_Cesto/Rift Wizard: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1271280/Rift_Wizard/Path of Achra: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2128270/Path_of_Achra/Animal Well: https://store.steampowered.com/app/813230/ANIMAL_WELL/DEMON'S TILT: https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/XENOTILT: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2008980/XENOTILT_HOSTILE_PINBALL_ACTION/ Obsidian (notetaking app): https://obsidian.md/My silly little game, Harley & Bleak: https://darthmalks.itch.io/harley-bleak

    18 - Matt Fister (AKA Freezebeam) of Realmfold & Towerbound

  8. Jun 8

    17 - Pete of Chaystar Unlimited, the makers of Asbury Pines

    Pete is part of a two-person development team called Chaystar Unlimited. They are the developers of Asbury Pines, an expansive, narrative-driven idle game about a small town through the ages. In Asbury Pines, Pete's unique perspective on game design and storytelling comes through in a way that you have to experience to believe. Join us for a conversation about games writing, making independent projects, and the joy that can stem from treating characters with care. Go buy Asbury Pines! It's AMAZING: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2212790/Asbury_Pines/Check out Chaystar's other game, Lilith Odyssey: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1450800/Lilith_Odyssey/ Join the Asbury Pines Discord and follow along with Pete's development journey: https://discord.com/invite/thyYmrTFlink Pamingo on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/flinkpamingoChaystar's early webcomic, SEa DoPe! https://www.moddb.com/games/sea-dope

    17 - Pete of Chaystar Unlimited, the makers of Asbury Pines
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About

breaking down internet apathy by rooting joy in games – interviews with devs and more ❤︎⁠ available on your podcatcher of choice and here: indiegamegarden.transistor.fm

Information

  • Creator
    Jonny Malks
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jonny Malks