The Sandbox.Space Weekly Podcast is an hour dedicated to the humans who build the game development industry. Each week, Chris talks with a guest to learn about their perspectives and passions within a rapidly-evolving world. Presented by The GDEX, the Midwest’s premiere Game Development Conference and Expo
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Brian Crick shares his experience as a solo Unreal developer making a story- and puzzle-driven adventure game. We delve into environmental storytelling, studio-building, working with a publisher, and the artistic consequences of the improvements in hardware over the last couple of decades. Brian Crick owns and operates Flopsy Koala, a studio working on an adventure game called Tinselfly, which will be released soon under the Whitethorn Games publishing label. He's an Unreal developer working for a company that makes educational games about surgery. He would very much like you to support the Cl
Another Tom-hosted episode, this time with Kent Reese of OM Games, where we chat about finishing major life-consuming projects and how to move on, along with a series of recent industry headlines and topics of interest. Kent Reese has built a game called Duck and the Land of Flightless Birds over the course of the last fifteen years, (as an indie business for over ten of them,) and you can play it now on Steam! Check out the Rochester Game Festival! All links featured are listed on the episode page. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/2
Hanging out with @ViolenceInVideoGames and discussing the indie dev lifestyle and some latest games industry headlines, including XBOX, unionization, layoffs, Roblox and Meta publishing directly with AI. John Daly and his brother Jack form the inimitable Violence in Videogames, AKA VIV Games! He and his brother were fresh faces in our Independent/Student/Experimental (ISE) section at GDEX 2025, and they even made a cool devlog of their experience on their YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0unNBxqfQhI Check out VIV Games' itch.io library at https://violenceinvideogames.itch.io/ T
Getting into the realities of music and sound and the economics of the game production process with Sean Beeson! Somehow, even though he composed our intro/outtro theme, we've never had Sean on the 'cast before. Sean Beeson is a talented musician and GDEX regular. Over the last 20+ years, he has contributed his music, sound, sonic branding and UX design sensibilities to everything from films, video games and VR titles, to Super Bowl and television ads. (He even composed the intro/outtro theme for the Sandbox.Space Weekly Podcast!) You can check out his website at seanbeeson.com Visit this epis
Chatting with local legend Jarryd Huntley about all kinds of topics, including Playstation's move to digital-only, price increases across the console world, the destructive effects of short-term profit-maximizing, and how the games industry can navigate these stormy seas by supporting one another. Jarryd Huntley is a game developer based out of Cleveland, Ohio. He co-authored the book Game Programming for Artists, was Lead Programmer for the award winning game We Are OFK, and is currently Director of DevOps at Owlchemy Labs working on Dimensional Double Shift. Visit this episode's page and wat
Catching up with our good friend Wes as we discuss Playstation committing to fully-digital games, and the generally-rising prices across the industry. We dig into the history of game distribution and the relationship between players and publishers. Wesley Adams is a former partner and lead designer at Multivarious / GDEX. You can find him helping with administrative support with the Central Ohio Gamedev Group by night and leading cutting edge learning & talent opportunities as a Product Solution Manager by day. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.spa
Nathan Wooten of Wooshido joins us on the 'cast, discussing many things, including the day-to-day of being a published indie dev fighting for exposure, what it's like to have a rival game's release timing overshadow your game, different strategies for games to engage with their communities and monetize, and the pros and cons of story-driven games vs. "endless" games. Nathan Wooten is the owner of Wooshido, an indie studio known for Cast Out Colony and Toaster Defense, both of which have been well-received at GDEX over the years. Check out their newest game, Smash Out Colony, which was released
Claire Molitors has 10 years of experience in literacy education and curriculum development and has earned a BFA in Creative Writing and MA in Applied Linguistics. Currently she is a doctoral student in Instructional Design, with a focus on Game Development and researching women in collegiate competitive esports. You can visit her Weebly or check out Turtle Burger Gaming on YouTube or TikTok. https://www.thegdex.com/speakers-2026/claire-molitors Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260610 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch
Andrew Czarapata joins us this week, with Tom as special guest host standing in for Chris. Andrew is the owner and founder of Chiaroscuro Entertainment, currently developing Odyssey of Dremid'ir, which released last month! Check out their YouTube for gameplay videos, developer streams and vlogs. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260603 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Today's guest is Adam Keith from Tekkou Studios. #gamedev Adam Keith is Director and Developer at indie studio Tekkou Studios. They have made Stitched Together on Steam and are planning to debut their new game QURIOUS at GDEX 2026. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260527 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
The team from Creation Mode Studios joins us to talk about their game Violets of Amicus. Daniel and Kennedy Jewett run Creation Mode Studios together. They have been working on The Violets of Amicus since 2018, and recently made the jump to being full-time game developers. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260520 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Special Guest A.J. Caimi from ajtoons joins us on this week's episode. A.J. Caimi is an indie dev and is the founder and solo developer of a studio called ajtoons, working on a visual novel called SIS and BRO: The Cyborg Siblings. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260506 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Friend of the show Caleb Eno is this weeks special guest to discuss the new changes to #xbox #gamepass pricing. #oregontrail. And the continual layoffs in the tech space. Caleb Eno is one of Ohio's most devoted and passionate developers and is a core admin of the Central Ohio Gamedev Group. He has been building web and application software since at least 2015 and knows a thing or two about cybersecurity, technical design, level design and educational software. You can catch him gaming with his wife as GamingInTheGarret on YouTube and Twitch. You can also hear him on another podcast, Pages of P
Adam Bankhurst from IGN is our guest today. @IGN Adam Bankhurst is a news writer, reviewer, and features writer for IGN, where he also helps manage the homepage. Having joined in 2018, he has written thousands of articles and covers major gaming and entertainment events like E3 and PAX. Before IGN, Bankhurst gained experience in a variety of roles, including co-founding the website and podcast The Gamer's Advocate and serving as a chief strategy officer for a marketing group. An Ohio native, he also works with Extra Life Columbus, a fundraising program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®
Chris Kuhn is our special guest talking about his latest game. Chris Kuhn runs Casey Jones Labs and plans to present a new game called SkyChart: Airline Executive at GDEX 2026. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260415 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Jeff Stevens joins us this week to talk about the exciting world of ASCII art and creating a cult simulator. Jeffrey Stevens is founder of Bucephalus Studios (Website) and creator of CultGame (Steam, Itch.io) Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260408 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Associate Professor Chris Totten from Kent State University is our special guest today and wow what a conversation! Chris Totten is an Ohio-based 3D artist and indie dev with a studio called Pie for Breakfast. He has been in the industry for over 17 years. He is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of the Animation Game Design program at Kent State University and has authored several books on game design, including Game Character Creation in Blender and Unity and An Architectural Approach to Level Design. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox
Founder & CEO of Midwest Games is our guest today. Enjoy our excellent conversation on the future of GDC as well as other regional shows and how the industry might look in the future. @GDCFestivalofGaming #videogames #indiedev Ben Kvalo from Wisconsin is the Founder and CEO of Midwest Games and the President of the Wisconsin Games Alliance. He is an experienced manager and marketer with experience at Netflix, Blizzard, and 2K. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260325 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Garrett Davis, Managing Director of the ShawneeXP gaming accelerator joins us for a post @GDCFestivalofGaming and the changing landscape for #indiegame. #gamedev #videogames Garrett Davis is a game developer, serial entrepreneur, and startup accelerator director with a deep passion for building and scaling gaming companies, consulting firms, and startup ecosystems. He is the Managing Director of the ShawneeXP Gaming Accelerator, where he leads efforts to support early-stage game studios through funding, mentorship, and industry connections. His work focuses on strategic partnerships, fundraisi
Friend of GDEX, Senior Engineer and long time #gamedev Duke Paulus is our special guest for this week! Duke Paulus is an extremely talented programmer and indie game developer who has been building software since 1998, running Smiling Cat Entertainment since 2009, and currently works as Senior Engineer for Cold Iron Studios. https://www.linkedin.com/in/duke-paulus-86982620/ https://www.smilingcatentertainment.com/ https://coldironstudios.com/ Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260304 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv
Mike Geig from @unity joins us today with some really insightful conversation. This is a good one, don't miss it! Mike is Unity Technologies' leader of Advocacy and Community (formerly their Technical Evangelist), he hails from Canton Ohio and has championed Ohio game development for over a decade. He even penned a book, "Unity Game Development in 24 Hours" for the "Sams Teach Yourself" series. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegeig Unity Game Development in 24 Hours: https://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780672336966/samplepages/0672336960.pdf Visit this episode's page and watch the video ver
Professor Roger Crawfish from The Ohio State University ( @theohiostateuniversity ) joins us to discuss educational games for good, creativity, and creating great code. As both a professor of computer science and a founder of a game-focused start-up, Professor Roger Crawfis bridges academia and industry—mentoring the next generation of developers while continuing to innovate in production. His blend of technical mastery in C# and Unity3D, deep understanding of design patterns, and decades of creative problem-solving make him a rare figure in the field: someone who has not only witnessed the ev
Good friend Chris Bergman from Gylee Games joins for a wild conversation about #gamedev, #ai and #life! Chris Bergman is CEO and Founder of Gylee Games. He is based in Cincinnati where he is General Partner at the Midwest branch of The Fund of Everywhere Ventures. (He also co-owned Highball Cincy until 2026.) Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260204 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Friend Renee Gittins joins us for this weeks podcast to talk about #gamedev and non-gamedev things alike. Renee Gittins is former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and currently Creative Director at her indie game studio, Stumbling Cat, which made the game Potions: A Curious Tale. Website: https://www.reneegittins.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneegittins/ Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260128 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/thegdex
Our friend IzzyDojo joins us today. We're talking #gamedev, #GDEX, #indiegames and a load more. @izzydojo #videogames #indiedev Mike Schmittle is a content creator and the founder of IzzyDojo. Hailing from Ohio, he is on a mission to cultivate a thriving gaming community. When he's not immersed in virtual worlds, you can find him constructing intricate models and engaging in lively discussions on a wide range of topics on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok. Visit this episode's page and watch the video version at https://www.thesandbox.space/podcast/260121 Watch the show live on Twitch: https://www.tw
