Game Dev Epic Fails

About Game Dev Epic Fails

Welcome to Game Dev Epic Fails by Ludo Launchpad! Here, we have honest, postmortem-style conversations with real game developers. So indies and small studios can spot red flags earlier, set saner goals, and build games (and careers) that thrive. In each episode, we’ll talk to some of the most successful game developers. Discover their struggles and how they climbed back to success. Don’t miss out on some of the most valuable lessons in life, careers, and making great games. If you’re working on a game, pitch to Ludo Launchpad (https://tally.so/r/3q0l2g)! We onboard early-stage games and guide you all the way to launch. If you like our content, please support us on our Patreon (https://patreon.com/gamedevepicfails). Your support will help Ludo Launchpad bring dream games to life!

Publisher

Jet Tanyag

Category

leisure · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Jan 2026

Latest episode

1 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Apr 2026

   Tidus Wong - Scaling Your Indie Studio into a Sustainable Business

   The conversation delves into the world of finance and indie game development, exploring the shift in the view of successful games, the impact of mergers and acquisitions, the industry downtrend, the biggest lie in the industry, validation and early stage game development, the investment landscape and sustainable games, challenges faced by narrative-driven games, and the costs and budgeting in game development. The conversation covers various aspects of game development, including understanding costs, marketing, localization, funding, and financial indicators. It also delves into the importance of networking, red flags in publisher relationships, and advice for struggling developers. The recommendation of the game 'Black Myth Wukong' is also highlighted. Takeaways Shift in the view of successful games in the context of mergers and acquisitions Challenges faced by narrative-driven games and the impact on investment Understanding the various costs involved in game development is crucial. Developers should consider the significance of marketing costs and the role of indies in marketing. Localization is more than just translation and plays a significant role in game success. Chapters 00:00 The World of Finance and Indie Game Development 16:25 Validation and Early Stage Game Development 23:11 Narrative-Driven Games and Investment Challenges 29:43 Costs and Budgeting in Game Development 38:29 The Impact of Localization 49:01 Red Flags in Publisher and Investor Relationships 55:57 Financial Indicators for Sustainable Development 01:01:16 Advice for Struggling Developers

2. 

   13 Feb 2026

   Patrick Rose - The Science of Why Games Fail (and How to Make Them Fly)

   In this episode, Patrick Rose, a product strategy, retention, and monetization expert, shares insights on game development, industry entry, and the four pillars of game success: user acquisition, accessibility, monetization, and engagement. He also discusses the impact of autonomy, relatedness, and competence on player motivation, and provides examples from popular games like No Man's Sky, Dark Souls, and Candy Crush Saga. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including game design, monetization, narrative design, and the psychology of player engagement. It delves into the principles of game development, the impact of external rewards on intrinsic motivation, and the importance of narrative design in creating engaging experiences. The conversation also explores the concept of virality in games and the role of AI in narrative design. Takeaways Understanding the four pillars of game success: user acquisition, accessibility, monetization, and engagement. The impact of autonomy, relatedness, and competence on player motivation. Examples of successful game design and player engagement from popular games like No Man's Sky, Dark Souls, and Candy Crush Saga. Competence and flow theory are closely connected, influencing player engagement and game design. External rewards can diminish intrinsic motivation, impacting player engagement and long-term retention. Effective monetization involves creating a 'money sponge' system with multiple opportunities for spending, avoiding direct pay-to-win models. Narrative design with AI empowers developers to focus on the bigger picture, creating engaging and interactive experiences. The 80/20 rule in game design emphasizes benchmarking 80% of the design and innovating on the remaining 20%, aligning with the Pareto principle. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Game Development and Industry Entry 39:23 Understanding Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence in Player Motivation 50:24 Competence and Flow Theory 55:35 Effective Monetization Strategies 01:23:04 The 80/20 Rule in Game Design If you’d like to support the show, you can find us on Patreon at patreon.com/gamedevepicfails (http://patreon.com/gamedevepicfails) If you’re building a game and you want to make sure players will love it before you go all in, pitch your game at pitch.ludolaunchpad.com (http://pitch.ludolaunchpad.com)

3. 

   30 Jan 2026

   Susan Gold - Building a Global Playground for Failing Safely

   The pilot episode of Game Dev Epic Fails features Susan Gold, the founder of the Global Game Jam. The conversation delves into the challenges and lessons of game development, the messy failure of game development, defining success, the skepticism and challenges of the Global Game Jam, behind-the-scenes of the first Global Game Jam, cultural and translation challenges, and adapting to the pandemic and virtual game jams. The conversation with Susan Gold covers a behind-the-scenes look at the Global Game Jam, the 48-hour game jam experience, diversifiers and creativity in game jams, failure patterns and team dynamics, learning and growth in game jams, the impact of game jams on the industry, the future of Global Game Jam, advice for handling the chaos, and game recommendations and genres. If you found Susan's insights very helpful, please also subscribe and listen to the Global Game Jam Podcast at the Official GGJ Youtube Channel. (https://www.youtube.com/@GlobalGameJam) Takeaways The importance of embracing failure in game development Defining success in game development The 48-hour game jam experience fosters creativity and learning in a safe environment. Game jams have a significant impact on the industry, fostering new ideas and stimulating creativity. Chapters 00:00 Introducing Susan Gold and the Global Game Jam 07:34 The Messy Failure of Game Development 17:12 Challenges and Skepticism of the Global Game Jam 25:35 Cultural and Translation Challenges 33:01 The Role of the Board in Global Game Jam 43:34 The 48-Hour Game Jam Experience 50:30 Learning and Growth in Game Jams 55:44 Impact of Game Jams on the Industry 01:04:02 Advice for Handling the Chaos If you’d like to support the show, you can find us on Patreon at patreon.com/gamedevepicfails (http://patreon.com/gamedevepicfails) If you’re building a game and you want to validate it before you commit, pitch your game at pitch.ludolaunchpad.com (http://pitch.ludolaunchpad.com)

4. 

   28 Jan 2026

   Susan Gold on what game dev employers really want

   If you want a job in the game development industry, there's only one thing you should do: create games! In our conversation, Global Game Jam founder Susan Gold discusses what it really takes to start a career in game development. We also talked about that was going on behind the scenes during the first Global Game Jam, we also dived into the reality of failures and how to learn from them. The full episode is coming out this January 31! Don't miss it!

5. 

   28 Jan 2026

   Global Game Jam founder Susan Gold talks about embracing failure

   Here's a very short snippet of my incredible conversation with The Global Game Jam founder, Susan Gold! This clip is from the pilot episode of Game Dev Epic Fails airing on 31 January, 2026! You can listen to the episode on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify. Who else is joining the Global Game Jam this week? #globalgamejam #indiegames #gamedev

6. 

   28 Jan 2026

   Teaser - Game Dev Epic Fails launching on Jan 31!

   Here's a snippet of my conversation with Global Game Jam (https://globalgamejam.org/) founder Susan Gold! This pilot episode of Game Dev Epic Fails is airing on 31 January, 2026! You can listen to it on Amazon Music, Youtube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. If you love this snippet, there's much more to unpack when you listen to our full conversation at the podcast. If you’d like to support the show, please subscribe to our Patreon! If you’re building a game and you want to validate it before you commit, pitch your game at pitch.ludolaunchpad.com (http://pitch.ludolaunchpad.com)

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.