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January 21, 2025 106 mins

Hello friends old and new! 

On this week's episode, Jess sits down with Matthew Laurence; *nearly* 20 year games industry veteran formerly of Crowdstar, Rovio, Megazebra, Embark, and Ubisoft. Currently he's the Engagement and Narrative director (yes both!) at Avalanche studios. He's also a HUGE nerd (affectionate). 

They chat about being a garbage human (and that's ok!), the importance of game economy design, and chasing gaming jobs all over the world.

Then they play a Stupid Little Game - complete with theme song! - called "Where in the World is this Video Game Location?".

Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or Spotify. It really helps out.

Special thanks to today's sponsors:

Phantoms, Ghosts, & Other Heartbreaks - a debut novel by Beth Morton. You can find it on Amazon paperback and kindle. Available now!

Outreach Program - the sophomore album by Brooklyn indie rock band Social Robot. Visit socialrobotmusic.com for more info!

And you can check out Matthew's books:

FreyaCause and Effect Game Design

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Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming from the inside out!

Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then play a Stupid Little Game I write especially for each guest.

Thanks so much for listening!

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