Hey, Good Game explores the stories behind your favorite brainy games. Each week, we interview game creators and dig into what it takes to build a successful indie game, how to monetize, and how to get traction.
Hey, Good Game
Claim This Podcastby Nate Kadlac, Aaron Kardell, Joseph Rueter
5.0(8 reviews)
78 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas Sponsors
76
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality98
Social0
YouTube76
Engagement60
Podcast Overview
Hey, Good Game explores the stories behind your favorite brainy games. Each week, we interview game creators and dig into what it takes to build a successful indie game, how to monetize, and how to get traction.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
12/5/2023
Unlock The Full Podcast Authority Score Report
See how your podcast performs across key metrics
76
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality98
Social0
YouTube76
Engagement60
10
Excellent Areas
2
Good Performance
7
Growth Opportunities
excellent
Episode Length
50 minutes
Performing excellently!
good
Publishing Consistency
Every 8 days
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
poor
Episode Thumbnails
Recommendations available
Unlock the full report to see detailed tips
+16 More Metrics
Unlock comprehensive insights including:
- • YouTube presence analysis
- • Social media reach metrics
- • RSS compliance scoring
- • Podcast 2.0 features
- • Technical standards
What's Included in Your Full Report
Detailed Analytics
- Complete breakdown of all 19 authority metrics
- Personalized recommendations for each metric
- Industry benchmarks and comparisons
- Technical RSS feed analysis and compliance scoring
Growth Strategies
- Step-by-step action plans for improvement
- Quick wins to boost your score immediately
- Pro tips from successful podcasters
Get your free podcast insights report
See how your show performs across every key metric
Instant delivery
No spam
Attract Better Guests
High authority scores make your podcast more attractive to industry leaders and influencers who want to appear on credible shows.
Secure Sponsorships
Sponsors look for podcasts with proven authority and engagement. Your score demonstrates your podcast's value to potential partners.
Grow Your Audience
Understanding your strengths and weaknesses helps you make data-driven decisions to expand your listener base effectively.
1 verified contact email on file for Hey, Good Game
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
November 4, 2025
Crafting the Perfect Puzzle: James Sinclair on Handcrafted, Variant Sudoku
<p>James Sinclair shares his remarkable journey from immigration lawyer to full-time puzzle crafter and creator of the Artisanal Sudoku Substack—a haven for lovers of elegant, human-made Sudoku variants.</p><p>In this episode, James breaks down his puzzle design philosophy, his preference for handcrafted logic over AI generation, and how he’s turned personal passion into a growing newsletter, a community of solvers, and a published puzzle book. The conversation covers everything from the joys and challenges of variant Sudoku to the deeper question: What makes a puzzle satisfying to solve?</p><p>James also shares thoughts on monetization, platform choice, audience building, and why central hubs like Logic Masters Germany play a key role in the global puzzle scene. Plus, he previews Sudoku Con, talks about the fog-based puzzle design he’s experimenting with, and gives rapid-fire takes on puzzle pet peeves, dream collaborations, and favorite solves.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>🧩 Games, Platforms & Influences Mentioned</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Variant Sudoku</strong> – His main craft</li><li><strong>Artisanal Sudoku</strong> – James’s Substack newsletter</li><li><strong>Logic Masters Germany (LMG)</strong> – Puzzle publishing hub</li><li><strong>Cracking the Cryptic</strong> – Popular YouTube channel mentioned</li><li><strong>Sudoku Con</strong> – Community event</li><li><strong>Dynamic Fog puzzles</strong> – One of James’s current experiments</li><li><strong>AI-generated puzzles</strong> – Discussed critically</li></ul><p><strong>🌐 Websites & Platforms Mentioned</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Website: </strong><a href="https://artisanalsudoku.substack.com/">https://artisanalsudoku.substack.com/</a><br><a href="https://substack.com/@artisanalsudoku">https://substack.com/@artisanalsudoku</a></li></ul><p><br>--</p><p></p><ul><li>(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background </li> <li>(01:13) - James Sinclair's Favorite Games </li> <li>(02:26) - Discovering Sudoku </li> <li>(05:04) - Exploring Variant Sudoku </li> <li>(08:53) - Starting Artisanal Sudoku </li> <li>(18:09) - Creating and Publishing Puzzles </li> <li>(22:12) - Choosing Substack and Growing an Audience </li> <li>(27:24) - Creating Puzzles for the Newsletter </li> <li>(28:14) - Logic Master Stot Land: A Puzzle Haven </li> <li>(29:21) - The Need for a Central Puzzle Platform </li> <li>(31:40) - Marketing Strategies for Substack </li> <li>(33:09) - The Journey to Publishing a Sudoku Book </li> <li>(38:53) - AI and Handcrafted Puzzles </li> <li>(46:11) - Sudoku Con and Community Events </li> <li>(47:35) - Rapid Fire Questions and Puzzle Preferences </li> <li>(50:15) - Dynamic Fog Puzzles and Final Thoughts</li> </ul><br>--<p>Check out our brainy games:</p><p>Sumplete - <a href="https://sumplete.com/">https://sumplete.com</a><br>Squeezy - <a href="https://imsqueezy.com/">https://imsqueezy.com/</a><br>Kakuro Conquest - <a href="https://kakuroconquest.com/">https://kakuroconquest.com</a><br>Mathler - <a href="https://mathler.com/">https://mathler.com</a><br>Crosswordle - <a href="https://crosswordle.com/">https://crosswordle.com</a><br>Sudoku Conquest - <a href="https://sudokuconquest.com/">https://sudokuconquest.com</a><br>Hitori Conquest - <a href="https://hitoriconquest.com/">https://hitoriconquest.com</a><br>Wordga - <a href="https://wordga.com/">https://wordga.com</a></p>
October 21, 2025
32 Wordles?! Bryan Chen on Building Duotrigordle
<p>Bryan Chen joins Nate Kadlac and Aaron Kardell on Hey, Good Game to unravel how a simple coding side project exploded into Duotrigordle, the 32-Wordle brain buster beloved by millions.</p><p><br></p><p>A computer science student at the University of Waterloo, Bryan walks us through his programming journey from C# exercises in grade school to building viral games during online college lockdowns. The episode explores how Duotrigordle evolved from a dorm-room Discord link into one of the most beloved—and chaotic—Wordle spinoffs online.</p><p><br></p><p>The trio discusses Bryan’s inspirations (from Waffle to Magic: The Gathering), why he values intuitive UX over flashy features, and how he’s balancing indie game maintenance with his academic and career goals. Bryan also opens up about monetization, treating side projects as portfolio pieces, and the emotional payoff of seeing friends unknowingly become fans of his work.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Favorite Games Mentioned by Bryan Chen</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Magic: The Gathering</strong> – His all-time favorite</li><li><strong>Wordle</strong> – Foundational inspiration</li><li><strong>Octordle</strong> / <strong>Quordle</strong> – Multi-board Wordle influences</li><li><strong>Waffle</strong> – Admired for clean design and visual polish</li><li><strong>League of Legends</strong> – Used its API as a test project</li><li><strong>Tetris (AI bot project)</strong> – As a personal dev exercise</li></ul><p><br></p><p>🔗 <strong>Find Bryan Chen online<br></strong>Game: <a href="https://duotrigordle.org/">https://duotrigordle.org/</a></p><p>Website: <a href="https://thesilican.com/">https://thesilican.com/</a></p><p>GitHub & side projects linked on his website</p><p><br>--</p><p></p><ul><li>(00:00) - Introduction and Welcome </li> <li>(00:00) - Going Viral: The Unexpected Success </li> <li>(00:29) - Meet Bryan Chen: Creator of Duotrigordle </li> <li>(01:31) - Bryan's Gaming Journey </li> <li>(01:49) - Magic: The Gathering and Board Games </li> <li>(06:31) - Early Interest in Software Development </li> <li>(08:49) - The Birth of Duotrigordle </li> <li>(16:35) - Iterating and Improving the Game </li> <li>(22:50) - Monetization and Motivations </li> <li>(38:33) - Future Projects and Advice for Creators </li> <li>(42:14) - Conclusion and Farewell</li> </ul><br>--<p>Check out our brainy games:</p><p>Sumplete - <a href="https://sumplete.com/">https://sumplete.com</a><br>Squeezy - <a href="https://imsqueezy.com/">https://imsqueezy.com/</a><br>Kakuro Conquest - <a href="https://kakuroconquest.com/">https://kakuroconquest.com</a><br>Mathler - <a href="https://mathler.com/">https://mathler.com</a><br>Crosswordle - <a href="https://crosswordle.com/">https://crosswordle.com</a><br>Sudoku Conquest - <a href="https://sudokuconquest.com/">https://sudokuconquest.com</a><br>Hitori Conquest - <a href="https://hitoriconquest.com/">https://hitoriconquest.com</a><br>Wordga - <a href="https://wordga.com/">https://wordga.com</a></p>
September 9, 2025
From Bingo Nights to Daily Puzzles: The Story of Silly Little Games
<p>Angela Swain and Mariam Mollaghaffari join Aaron Kardell on Hey, Good Game to share how two longtime friends turned a nostalgic obsession with wordplay into Silly Little Games—a vibrant, human-crafted daily puzzle experience.</p><p>Angela (a flight attendant with a journalism background) and Mariam (an architect with design chops) break down the collaborative, scrappy spirit behind their Rebus-style puzzle game Silly Little Codes. From hand-drawing hundreds of clever puzzles in Figma to battling bad developers and solving design challenges (including a keyboard that nearly derailed their launch), the duo talks candidly about their indie journey—complete with frog-fueled editing fights and dream expansions into physical card games.</p><p>The episode explores how Angela and Mariam are navigating indie game development without coding skills, what they've learned from BlueSky and social media outreach, and why they’ve stayed committed to handcrafted design in an AI-saturated market. They also tease upcoming games under the Silly Little Games umbrella and share honest insights about self-funding, monetization plans, and growing a community of puzzle lovers.</p><p>🧩 Games & Favorites Mentioned</p><ul><li><strong>Silly Little Codes</strong> (Angela & Mariam's daily puzzle game)</li><li><strong>Backgammon</strong> (Mariam’s nostalgic favorite, tied to her Iranian heritage)</li><li><strong>Bingo</strong> and <strong>Spoons</strong> (Angela’s family-friendly picks)</li><li><strong>Architecture as Tetris</strong> (Mariam compares architectural design to the game)</li></ul><p>🔗 Website & Socials</p><ul><li><strong>Website:</strong> https://www.playsillylittlegames.com</li><li><strong>Instagram, Threads, TikTok, BlueSky:</strong> @playsillylittlegames</li><li><strong>Note:</strong> Not on Reddit (permanently banned 😅)<p></p></li></ul><p>--</p><p></p><ul><li>(00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guests </li> <li>(01:42) - Favorite Games and Nostalgic Memories </li> <li>(05:09) - The Origin Story of Angela and Mariam's Friendship </li> <li>(07:47) - Creating Silly Little Games: The Initial Idea </li> <li>(11:57) - Designing and Collaborating on Puzzles </li> <li>(30:14) - Challenges in Developing the Digital Game </li> <li>(32:02) - Starting Over: The Struggles of Development </li> <li>(32:46) - Keyboard Woes: A Major Setback </li> <li>(33:59) - Finding the Right Developer </li> <li>(34:54) - Balancing Passion and Practicality </li> <li>(39:59) - Monetization and Future Plans </li> <li>(49:25) - Challenges with Social Media and Promotion </li> <li>(01:02:15) - Looking Ahead: New Games and Growth</li> </ul><br>--<p>Check out our brainy games:</p><p>Sumplete - <a href="https://sumplete.com/">https://sumplete.com</a><br>Squeezy - <a href="https://imsqueezy.com/">https://imsqueezy.com/</a><br>Kakuro Conquest - <a href="https://kakuroconquest.com/">https://kakuroconquest.com</a><br>Mathler - <a href="https://mathler.com/">https://mathler.com</a><br>Crosswordle - <a href="https://crosswordle.com/">https://crosswordle.com</a><br>Sudoku Conquest - <a href="https://sudokuconquest.com/">https://sudokuconquest.com</a><br>Hitori Conquest - <a href="https://hitoriconquest.com/">https://hitoriconquest.com</a><br>Wordga - <a href="https://wordga.com/">https://wordga.com</a></p>
78 total episodes available
Recent guests on Hey, Good Game
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Tatiana Delgado
Guest
Amir Rajan
Guest
Joel Corelitz
Guest
David Workman
Guest
Jason Todd
Guest
Kevin Glikmann
Guest
Deep-dive analytics for Hey, Good Game
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Hey, Good Game?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates weekly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.