It’s been nearly two years since we published an episode, so we’re back with the sixth and final episode of BosBattle. But don’t worry, we’re working on a new podcast, a non-fiction narrative show that’s all about how indie games get made, and the geographical focus will go way beyond Boston. Read more about that here.
For this final episode of BosBattle, we interviewed Bill and Amanda Gardner of The Deep End Games about the trials they went through developing Perception, a 2017 narrative thriller about a blind woman who uncovers the secrets of a mansion in Massachusetts using the core game mechanic of echolocation. This interview was recorded in November of 2018, so we’ve been sitting on this one for a while.
Here are some things we talked about:
- How Bill’s background in designing levels for BioShock and BioShock Infinite complemented Amanda’s bona fides as a fantasy writer and former English teacher
- How a love of horror movies, and Stanley Kubrick films in particular, informed the idea for Perception
- Why they eschewed the typical development cycle to bring high-quality audio to the forefront of Perception
- How Bill and Amanda coped with crunch
Listen on RadioPublic | iTunes | Spotify | Google | Stitcher| TuneIn | RSS
Related links:
- The Deep End Games’ website
- Free documentary about The Deep End Games
- Video with Bill Gardner about designing BioShock’s first level
Hosted by Dylan Martin and Stephanie MacDonald.
Music by Jesse Gertz.
Recorded at PRX’s Podcast Garage in Allston, Mass. (before the pandemic).
How Indie Games Get Made 