We love indiegames! If you are reading this, so do you. We tell the stories of passionate indie game developers across the world making them.
We explore their motivations, goals, funding experiences, and valuable advice for aspiring creators.
🔗 You can find us here: https://linktr.ee/openindie
Have fun listening and if you do, make sure to Follow us for updates on new episodes and tell your friends (and enemies) about us.
Welcome to another dev talk episode of openindie! In this session, host Sarah sits down with Leo, the Creative Director at 6side Studio, to dive into the development of their debut commercial title, Dawn of Defense.
If you've ever wondered what happens when you mash up tower defense, real-time strategy, and roguelite mechanics, this episode is exactly what you need. Leo shares the fascinating origin story of the project, from sketching out territorial grid patterns on a whiteboard to securing state funding in Cologne by weaving an Asterix and Obelix-style Roman invasion into the game's core lore.
Throughout the talk, we get a highly transparent look at the indie development pipeline. Leo discusses the studio's massive Steam demo success which pulled in an impressive 30,000 players and how analyzing player feedback ultimately led to a complete economy rework and the introduction of hero units. He also opens up about the daunting world of pitching, sharing the story of their fateful road trip to Hamburg's "Pitch Level Up" event and how putting their pitch deck in front of industry professionals changed the studio's trajectory forever.
Packed with technical insights, clever design workarounds, and solid networking advice, this is a must-listen for strategy gamers and aspiring devs alike. Dawn of Defense is aiming for a Q4 2026 release, so be sure to go check out the demo on Steam!
Episode Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Mixing Genre: 2:07
TD Fans: 5:15
Idea for the Game: 9:17
The Release: 12:00
Dev Progress: 14:07
Managing Complexity: 19:53
Gameplay and Art Style: 25:55
Demo: 29:14
Feature to be proud of: 34:10
From Bug to Feature: 35:33
Dev Moment: 37:42
Publisher Search: 40:35
openindie Sidenote - Episode about publishing agreements: 45:53
6side Studio - Founding Story: 47:10
Indiegame scene in Germany: 53:01
Best and Worst part in being indie: 56:36
More advice for indie devs: 1:00:54
Next up for Leo: 1:02:34
Listen to & Support Us: 1:05:52
Outro: 1:07:22
As always, have fun listening! If you like what we do, tell your friends (and enemies) about us.
12 Mar 2026
#45 - Publisher Contracts Explained (Behind the Build #1) - René Otto (Deviant Legal)
You've poured your heart into developing your game, a publisher shows interest, and suddenly you're staring at a contract full of terms you've never heard of. Our guest today is there to help you in that situation.
To kick off our brand-new format Behind the Build, Sarah sits down with René Otto, attorney and founder of Deviant Legal, a law firm built entirely for the games industry. René works with over 300 developers and publishers, and he's written a free, 20,000-word guide to help indie devs actually understand what they're signing.
You can get the guide here - no strings attached: https://deviantlegal.com/guide/game-developers-guide-publishing-agreements/ (https://deviantlegal.com/guide/game-developers-guide-publishing-agreements/)
They break down the clauses that matter most: royalties, recoupment traps, perpetual licenses, and the confusing world of first negotiation, first refusal, and last refusal. René explains not just what these terms mean, but how they quietly work together and why a deal that looks fine on the surface can cost you everything.
Plus: the publisher who hid Easter eggs in their contract template, the developer who lost both their money and their game in a single deal, and why some publishers get suspicious when you don't negotiate.
A must-listen for any indie dev who's ever received a publishing offer, dreamed of one, or just wants to know what they're getting into before signing on the dotted line.
Episode Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Guest Intro: 1:38
Topic Overview: 5:48
Guide for Publishing Agreements: 12:26
Typical Red Flags: 15:08
Typical Legal Terms: 19:55
Important Sections in the Guide: 27:30
Owning IP Rights: 33:27
Negotiating Money: 36:05
Crafting Milestones: 42:33
Dealing with License Fees: 46:26
Handling Marketing: 49:28
Community Questions: 54:56
Example of a Great Publisher: 1:06:04
A Guide for Devs Worldwide: 1:09:24
Making Contracts More Accessible: 1:10:29
How René Became a Video Game Lawyer: 1:12:21
René's Law Firm: 1:19:48
The Pros and Cons of Being a Lawyer: 1:28:24
Sending a Message Back in Time: 1:31:25
Memorable Career Moments: 1:35:03
Advice for Devs Looking for a Publisher: 1:39:41
René's Next Steps: 1:42:31
Outro: 1:44:59
As always, have fun listening! If you like what we do, tell your friends (and enemies) about us.
30 Jan 2026
#44 - Our 2025 Indie Game Favorites & 2026 Picks - Sarah & iV
Sarah & iV sit down once again for a cozy chat about the indie games they really enjoyed playing in 2025 and the games they're most looking forward to in 2026.
If you're looking for great indie games to play, give the ones mentioned here a shot. We're pretty sure you won't regret it.
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EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
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TypInc.: 0:25
Blue Prince: 10:03
Keep Driving: 20:48
Dredge: 29:46
Vikings on Trampolines: 37:51
Shroom and Gloom: 41:50
Outro: 46:52
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GAMES FEATURED
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⌨️ TypInc.
Developer: Game Game Games
Genre: Deckbuilder Typing Game
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3230090/TypInc/
👑 Blue Prince
Developer: Dogubomb
Genre: Strategy Roguelike Puzzle Adventure
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1569580/Blue_Prince/
🚗 Keep Driving
Developer: Y/CJ/Y
Genre: Management RPG
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2756920/Keep_Driving/
🎣 Dredge
Developer: Black Salt Games
Genre: Mystery Fishing Strategy Adventure
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1562430/DREDGE/
🛝 Vikings on Trampolines
Developer: D-Pad Studio
Genre: Co-op Party Game
https://store.steampowered.com/app/748810/Vikings_On_Trampolines/
🍄 Shroom and Gloom
Developer: Team Lazerbeam
Genre: Card-based Roguelike Strategy
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3271280/Shroom_and_Gloom/
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What were the games you loved in 2025? Did our recommendations help you discover your next favorite game? We'd love to know!
If you like what we do, tell your friends (and enemies) about our show!
Who has been a guest on openindie - An indie dev Podcast
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Ben Lee
Zilin Su
Raymond Corrigan
Craig Ritchie
Jonathan Bradley
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