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Today I am talking with Bruce Nesmith a Bethesda verteran who was a part of pretty much every major release from the studio right up until his retirement in 2022. I was so excited to speak with Bruce and hear how the company delivers a classic Bethesda game, what it's like to work alongside Todd Howard and I couldn't help but ask him what would be on his wish list for Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel.

I love Bethesda's RPGs and I can't help but be excited for Elder Scrolls 6: Sentinel. Hearing about the inner workings of the company over the years and how they delivered the likes of Fallout 3, Skyrim Oblivion and more was an absolute delight.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

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Today I'm reflecting on my love of Bethesda RPGs and why, no matter what, I'll probably never stop buying them!

I also talk about some games I've been playing lately, including Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Sam & Max: Freelance Police.

Plus, I share some genuinely wholesome stories from my recent interviews with Raphaël Colantonio (Dishonored, Prey) and Alex and Kelsey Beachum (Outer Wilds).

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I'm talking with Sara Hebert, Marketing Lead at Human Computer, the creators of the upcoming game Ballgame. She is the former Studio Manager at Night School Studio, the team behind Oxenfree, Oxenfree II and Afterparty.

Sara and I talk about one of the biggest challenges facing video game developers today: continuing to bring new players into the space and getting them to buy games.

Sara discusses the challenge that developers, big and small, face in getting their games in front of an audience. From the early days of shareware and classics like Super Mario Bros. and Pokémon Yellow, to modern indie games like Return of the Obra Dinn, Celeste and Titanium Court, we explore why brilliant games struggle to get noticed, what developers can learn from the past, and why marketing should be considered just as important a part of game development as the games themselves.

Sara also shares the deeply personal story of how Oxenfree helped her process the loss of a close friend and her drive to help bring Oxenfree II into the world.

Sara is now working with Human Computer on their upcoming game Ballgame, where they're experimenting with new ways of reaching audiences in an increasingly crowded gaming landscape.

#oxenfree #oxenfree2 #afterparty #indiegames #gamedevelopment #gamingpodcast

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Support me on Patreon for free: https://www.patreon.com/TheExaminedGame?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Today I'm talking with Raphaël Colantonio, former president of Arkane Studios, responsible for bringing Dishonored, Prey, Arx Fatalis and Dark Messiah of Might and Magic into existence.

This is a conversation about the dark art of making the perfect immersive sim, and the influences that led him to build on games like Ultima VII and Thief to create some of the most evocative immersive sims of all time.

Raphaël is now president of WolfEye Studios, where he's working on a new immersive sim. Dishonored and Prey are two of my favourite games of all time, and it was an absolute pleasure to speak with him about his various inspirations, his thoughts on where the games industry is heading, and what he'd like to see more of in the games he plays.

#dishonored #prey #arkanestudios #immersivesim

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I am talking with Alex and Kelsey Beachum, the creative director and writer behind Outer Wilds. I previously interviewed Alex and Kelsey separately, but I took a punt on asking if they'd have a chat with me about their childhood and the creative inspiration that eventually led to Outer Wilds.

This is a much more personal deep dive than usual, digging into the joy of play that led them down the path of wanting to make video games. Alex and Kelsey are such generous and lovely people, and it's always such a pleasure to chat to them.

We discuss everything from making real life video games out of Duplo to their deep love of Zelda, and what it's like being a brother and sister team working on a video game.

#outerwilds #gaming #gamingpodcast

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Today I'm talking with Bennett Foddy, creator of QWOP, GIRP, Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, and co-creator of Baby Steps. Bennett's games are known for torturing players, but today I get to deep dive into the philosophy behind his design choices, and they run a lot deeper than you might think.

Bennett is incredibly thoughtful and considered when it comes to players, which might surprise you considering the challenges he puts in their way. In this interview, we talk a lot about player expectations, the value of difficulty in video games, and what he hopes to give players who persevere with his games.

#gettingoverit #babysteps #bennettfoddy #gaming #gamingpodcast

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Hi all, Steven Lake here from The Examined Game. So i've had a couple weeks where i've been short of a guest but I didn't want to leave you totally hanging so I thought i'd have a chat with you all about the new Resident Evil movie, how Star Wars Zero Company has saved me from a bad save scumming habit and to get really honest with you about my addiction to buying and not playing Assassin's Creed games.

I'm trying to get a good work flow in place so i'm not missing weeks so please do bear with me and i've got some great guests lining up for the next few weeks!

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.

Send us Fan Mail

Technoblade Never Dies Documentary Announcement: https://youtu.be/Lj0mDrEKSmA?si=N0pV54fYQg5HlnxF
Variety Piece: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/technoblade-never-dies-documentary-minecraft-riot-games-1236850438/

Today my guest on The Examined Game Podcast is me... Steven Lake. Look life has been busy with a few projects and for the first time in 7 months I didn't line up a guest for the podcast. So I thought i'd spend a bit of time telling you what i'm up to outside of the channel (I'm making some movies!) and talk a little bit about the podcast, why I do it, what I love about it etc.

I do talk a little bit about Technoblade Never Dies, the feature documentary I am directing about the life and times of Technoblade and the upcoming film Raised By Dragons directed by Carina Nichaouchine. A Coming of age dungeons and Dragons documentary.

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.