Beste Idle Thumbs Podcasts (2025)

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Three Moves Ahead 635 - The Strategy Games of Steam Next Fest 2025 1:06:41

vor 6 Tagen1:06:41

1:06:41

Len, Mike Williams, and Dominic Tarason run down the most exciting and interesting strategy and tactics games (and a couple from outside our usual wheelhouse) of Steam Next Fest 2025. From squat mechs to Italian vampires, there's a little something for everyone.Von Idle Thumbs

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Designer Notes 89: Patrice Desilets - Part 1 1:44:26

vor 14 Tagen1:44:26

1:44:26

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game designer Patrice Desilets, best known for his work on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Assassin’s Creed series, and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. They discuss being hired as the first developer at Ubisoft Montreal, the similarities between improv theater and game design, and why he wants to…

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Three Moves Ahead 634 - 9 Kings 1:11:47

vor 18 Tagen1:11:47

1:11:47

Len, Mike Williams, Luke, and Jon roll out the red carpet for 9 Kings, a tile placement base defense game with roguelite elements. It's hard to describe, honestly. But trust us: it's worth a look.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 633 - Even More EU5 1:25:58

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1:25:58

It's Three Moves Ahead Original Flavor as Len, Fraser, and Jon gather for a second panel discussion on the press hands-on for Europa Universalis 5. We discuss how this game made us feel like absolute fools, argue about whether or not Greenland is a good starter nation, and discuss who has the most Troy Energy.…

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Designer Notes 88: Caroline Marchal - Part 2 2:02:18

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2:02:18

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game designer Caroline Marchal, best known for her work on Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, and As Dusk Falls. They discuss how much a narrative game should acknowledge that it is a game, if a 50/50 player split for a binary choice is desirable, and whether you are in the shower or under the shower. This episo…

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Three Moves Ahead 632 - We Played Europa Universalis 5! (No CB Megacast 11 Preview) 42:14

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vor etwa einem Jahr42:14

42:14

This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Len, Lambert, and Lorris have gotten some hands-on time with the Actually Really Announced game Europa Universalis 5! We discuss our impressions, our praises, our gripes, and even some of our most precious wishes.…

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Three Moves Ahead 631 - Cataclismo 1:08:12

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1:08:12

Len is joined by special guest Casey Explosion to talk about Cataclismo, a horde defense RTS with a unique, LEGO-like base building mechanic. We touch on the aesthetics, the tactics, and the story, as well as Casey's latest indie recommendations for 3MA listeners.Casey's Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/caseyexplosionCasey's YouTube: https://www.youtu…

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Designer Notes 87: Caroline Marchal - Part 1 1:52:59

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vor etwa einem Jahr1:52:59

1:52:59

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game designer Caroline Marchal, best known for her work on Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls, and As Dusk Falls. They discuss whether narrative games should show all paths to players, should we care if characters walk up stairs correctly, and how Heavy Rain was built for non-gamers but enjoyed the most by gamers…

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Three Moves Ahead 630 - Two Point Museum 1:06:20

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1:06:20

Len, Mike, and Luke dust off their Indy hats and take a close look at Two Point Museum. We discuss how it's such a great fit for the formula Two Point Studios built over their previous two games, how you make a museum game without presenting a tacit endorsement of grave robbing, and why crime never pays.…

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Three Moves Ahead 629 - RTS Shoutcasting and Stormgate 0.3.0 with BeoMulf 1:05:07

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1:05:07

This week, Len sits down with Philip "BeoMulf" Mulford, a professional RTS esports caster. We discuss how you get that gig, how you develop the skills for it, and how it compares to traditional sportscasting. We also dig in a bit to the recent 0.3.0 patch for Stormgate and how the first big graphical refresh, automated control groups, and fully reb…

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Three Moves Ahead 628 - Sid Meier's Civilization 7 1:21:27

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1:21:27

Len, Fraser, and Sin gather to try and figure out what the heck happened with Civilization 7. We discuss why it's such a let-down for the legendary series, and whether or not it's just time for civilization to end.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 627 - Look Ahead to 2025 1:09:33

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1:09:33

Len, Mike, and Nerium gaze down the road ahead at the most interesting and promising strategy games coming out (we hope) in 2025, from the heavy-hitters to some indie oddities.Games Discussed: Civilization 7, Kaiserpunk, Two Point Museum, Tempest Rising, Alliance of the Sacred Suns, Europa Universalis 5, Beyond These Stars, City Tales - Medieval Er…

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Three Moves Ahead 626 - 2024 Wrap-Up 1:03:16

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1:03:16

Len, Mike, and Sin gather 'round to sing the praises of our favorite strategy and tactics games of the year, as well as trying to identify the ever-elusive narrative throughline.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 625 - Caves of Qud 1:22:20

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1:22:20

Len, Jon, and Mike are joined by Freehold Games' Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat to discuss Caves of Qud. In a world where rogue"lites" and rogue-adjacents have blown up, what is the niche of a true, traditional roguelike? We also dig into the procedural generation of its post-multiple-apocalypses world and dreamlike writing style.…

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Three Moves Ahead 624 - What Else Are We Playing: November 2024 1:21:47

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1:21:47

Len is joined by Nerium Strom, Mike Williams, and Sin Vega for a round-table of What Else Are We Playing? From weird surreal horror to Factorio and Cities: Skylines 2, it's a chill chat for a chilly month on our production calendar.Von Idle Thumbs

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Designer Notes 86: Anton Strenger 3:06:23

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vor etwa einem Jahr3:06:23

3:06:23

In this episode, Soren interviews Anton Strenger, best known for his work on Civilization 5, Civilization 6, and Beyond Earth. They discuss how he ended up paying Carnegie Mellon so that he could work at Firaxis, why there aren’t many Great People after 1900, and whether Civilization has secretly become a live-service game. This episode was recorde…

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Three Moves Ahead 623 - Frostpunk 2 1:14:44

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1:14:44

Len is joined by Father Lorris and Sin Vega to discuss Frostpunk 2, the long-awaited sequel to the quintessential survival city-builder. We discuss where it hits and where it misses, with a particular focus on the strengths of the original that it fails to recapture by zooming out further.Von Idle Thumbs

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Designer Notes 85: Zach Barth - Part 2 2:30:32

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vor etwa einem Jahr2:30:32

2:30:32

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Zach Barth, best known for his puzzle games, including SpaceChem, Infinifactory, Shenzhen I/O, and Opus Magnum. They discuss why he made a game about assembly language, how he guaranteed that Fortune’s Foundation is winnable, and whether he knows how to make fun games. This episode was re…

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Three Moves Ahead 622 - Tactical Breach Wizards 1:15:38

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1:15:38

Len and Rowan are joined by games writer Kris Lorischild to discuss Tactical Breach Wizards. We discuss how rare it is for a game to be this funny on purposes, as opposed to from the chaotic intersection of procedural systems, how it creates rewarding tactical puzzles with simple ingredients, and... Metal Gear?!…

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Designer Notes 84: Zach Barth - Part 1 2:39:31

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2:39:31

In this episode, Soren interviews independent game developer Zach Barth, best known for his puzzle games, including SpaceChem, Infinifactory, Shenzhen I/O, and Opus Magnum. They discuss why he never originally wanted to make money on his games, why puzzle games are terrible, and whether he has ever played Minecraft. This episode was recorded on Sep…

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Three Moves Ahead 621 - The Return of MicroProse 1:06:51

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1:06:51

Len is joined this week by David Lagettie, CEO of the resurrected MicroProse. We share some of our own MicropProse memories, and discuss what makes a MicroProse game, as well as why David chose this brand to bring back from oblivion.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 620 - Fined by the Pope (EU5 Megacast 5 Preview) 30:56

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vor etwa einem Jahr30:56

30:56

This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Len, Lambert, and FatherLorris continue their ongoing beef with the Holy See while discussing Europa Universalis 5 dev diaries primarily focused on warfare. We're not even doing jokes about how long these are anymore. That's so early 2024. It's…

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Three Moves Ahead 619 - Total War: Pharaoh Dynasties 1:22:59

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1:22:59

Len is joined by Aftermath's Luke Plunkett and Dr. Bret Devereaux to discuss Total War: Pharaoh's expansive Dynasties glow-up. We dig into the sources that are and aren't available for Bronze Age warfare, how the latest historical Total War feels now with all the bells and whistles, and whether or not Creative Assembly's grand apology tour might be…

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Three Moves Ahead 618 - Workers & Resources 1.0 1:29:50

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1:29:50

Len and Jon are joined by Sin Vega and Well There's Your Problem's Justin Roczniak (donoteat01) to revisit Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic for its 1.0 release. We discuss what's changed and been added since we last checked it out in Early Access, why it's so captivating, and who it's actually for.…

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Three Moves Ahead 617 - Down the Well (EU5 Megacast 4 Preview) 32:51

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vor etwa einem Jahr32:51

32:51

This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Len, Lambert, and Lorris get in and out of this month's deluge of dev diaries in a downright snappy three hours, despite nitpicking EU5's depiction of the British Isles for long enough to kill a non-map gamer. Please be cautious when listening …

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Three Moves Ahead 616 - The Future of Anbennar and EU5 1:30:08

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1:30:08

Len, Lorris, and Lambert sat down with JayBean, the creator of the popular Anbennar fantasy total conversion mods for Europa Universalis 4, Crusader Kings 3, and Victoria 3. We asked him what he's most excited about from what we've seen of EU5 so far, what changes he might make to the mod with these new systems, and how Paradox Tinto can better sup…

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Three Moves Ahead 615 - Homeworld 3 1:11:46

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1:11:46

Len, Luke, and Ian warp in to discuss Homeworld 3, a space strategy sequel more than two decades in the making. We discuss its use of space terrain, the more intimate storytelling in the campaign, the co-op Wargames mode, and what it has and hasn't preserved from its pantheonic predecessors.Von Idle Thumbs

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Designer Notes 83: Mitch Lasky - Part 2 1:54:05

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vor etwa einem Jahr1:54:05

1:54:05

In this episode, Soren interviews noted game investor Mitch Lasky, best known for his work as a venture capitalist at Benchmark, as the CEO of JAMDAT, and as an executive at Activision and Electronic Arts. They discuss how the industry’s business models have always affected design, why he was wrong about the Halloween pack ruining League of Legends…

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Three Moves Ahead 614 - To Four Hours... And Beyond! (EU5 Megacast 3 Preview) 32:29

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vor etwa einem Jahr32:29

32:29

This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Len, Lambert, and Lorris are here to explore the question of how long a podcast about an unreleased game can be before someone in our lives physically intervenes. We not only have Tinto Talks and the Johan Files to cover, but now Tinto Maps, Sa…

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Three Moves Ahead 613 - Total War Warhammer 3: Thrones of Decay 1:29:16

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Len and Rowan are joined by Nathan from the YouTube channel The Great Book of Grudges to discuss the Thrones of Decay patch, Creative Assembly's apology tour, and the state of Immortal Empires in 2024. Rowan grapples with why Warhammer 3 just isn't doing it for her, Nathan marvels at the current contentment of the community, and Len chews a hole in…

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Designer Notes 82: Mitch Lasky - Part 1 1:53:26

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1:53:26

In this episode, Soren interviews noted game investor Mitch Lasky, best known for his work as a venture capitalist at Benchmark, as the CEO of JAMDAT, and as an executive at Activision and Electronic Arts. They discuss how the Doom shareware model was a preview of free-to-play, why a console transition led to EA buying Maxis, and how Jamdat pioneer…

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Three Moves Ahead 612 - Manor Lords 1:17:35

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1:17:35

Len, Ian, and Jon are joined by our official unofficial historical consultant, Dr. Bret Devereaux, to discuss Manor Lords. We clear up what it is and what it isn't, how it portrays the historical realities of medieval burgage, and how Early of an Early Access game it really is.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 611 - Going the Distance (EU5 Megacast 2 Preview) 37:08

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vor etwa einem Jahr37:08

37:08

This is a free preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Len, Lambert, and Lorris are back to discuss the next four Europa Universalis V dev diaries and The Johan Files, an edited compilation of all of Johan's relevant forum posts that has more than doubled in size since we last talked. We decided to…

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Designer Notes 81: Jake Solomon - Part 2 3:13:36

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3:13:36

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Jake Solomon, best known for the XCOM reboot and Midnight Suns. They discuss his first, failed attempt at XCOM, why 75% does not mean 75%, and how many copies of XCOM he sold at Power Gamer in Glen Burnie, MD. This episode was recorded on April 26, 2023.Games discussed: Civilization Revolutio…

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Three Moves Ahead 610 - Millennia 1:24:02

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1:24:02

It's a full house this week, as Len is joined by Ian Boudreau, Luke Plunkett, Mike Williams, and Ruth Cassidy to perform a bit of an autopsy on Millennia, C Prompt and Paradox's take at a Civ-like historical 4X. We all came away with a bit of a bad taste in our mouths about it, to varying degrees, and we spend a fair bit of time trying to explain w…

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Three Moves Ahead 609 - Europa Universalis 5 Confirmed?! (Patreon Preview) 29:48

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This is a preview of this month's Patreon episode. Check out the extended version at Patreon.com/3ma!Join Len, FatherLorris, and Lord Lambert as we get the NoCB Cast band back together to talk for 3.5 hours about Paradox Tinto's "Project Caesar," which is probably Europa Universalis 5. Okay, let's be real: it's definitely Europa Universalis 5. We b…

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Three Moves Ahead 608 - Balatro 1:00:54

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1:00:54

Len, Jon, and Mike Williams deal out a hand or two of Balatro. It's poker? Sort of? Not really? Poker with boss battles. Poker with booster packs. Poker with tarot cards? We don't hold our opinions close to our chest as we try to apply some kind of taxonomy to this indie surprise hit.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 607 - The Strategy Games of Steam Next Fest 2024 1:13:32

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1:13:32

Len, Jon, and Mike Williams sit down to discuss the strategy and strategy-adjacent demos that caught our eyes in Steam Next Fest. Jon played 50 (!) of them, and several were actually good! Also like, where are all the aliens, for real though?Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 606 - 2024 Look Ahead 1:18:31

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1:18:31

Len, Mike Williams, and Nerium Strom take a look at the strategy and strategy-adjacent games coming in 2024, discuss which ones we're most interested in, make some predictions, and discuss the awful state of the industry for workers this year so far.Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 605 - Warhammer 40,000 Tabletop 1:24:30

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Is this a Winter of Wargaming? Len and Ian are joined by Brian "Chef Lu Bu" Smawley to dig into Warhammer 40K as a setting through the lens of the flagship tabletop miniatures game (particularly the recent 10th Edition). We go over a bit of lore, run through the factions, talk about our favorites, discuss how we got into the hobby, and why it may o…

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Three Moves Ahead 604 - Mega-Sized 2023 Recap! 2:14:03

vor 2 Jahren2:14:03

2:14:03

Len, Rowan, and Ian gather 'round the Yule Log for an extended discussion on the year that was 2023 in strategy games. There was a lot of good and a lot of bad. There were a lot of people talking about "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year" that didn't really know what they were talking about. We share our personal picks and tease out a theme to en…

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Three Moves Ahead 603 - Against the Storm 1.0 1:25:49

vor 2 Jahren1:25:49

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Len, Rowan, and Luke have gathered around the hearth to revisit Against the Storm for its 1.0 launch. With one veteran and two greenhorns in tow, we discuss how this survival city-builder has changed since Early Access and why it's still so satisfying and refreshing to play.Von Idle Thumbs

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Designer Notes 80: Jake Solomon - Part 1 2:42:26

vor 2 Jahren2:42:26

2:42:26

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Jake Solomon, best known for the XCOM reboot and Midnight Suns. They discuss how much money he had to give back to Accenture, how to animate multiple units at the same time, and why Sid suddenly started golfing so much. This episode was recorded on April 25, 2023.Games discussed: Sopwith, Sil…

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Three Moves Ahead Patreon Preview: An Interview with Michele Pirovano (dotAGE) 7:03

vor 2 Jahren7:03

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Listen to the first five minutes of our November Patreon episode for free, and then hear the full one hour and 15 minute interview by subscribing at Patreon.com/3MA!Len had a chance to chat this month with Michele Pirovano, the (almost) solo developer of dotAGE, a game we all had a great time with this year. They discuss how board game design has h…

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Three Moves Ahead 601 - Victoria 3: One Year Later 1:23:15

vor 2 Jahren1:23:15

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Len is joined by Dr. Bret Devereaux and Chapel Comic creator Father Lorris to take a look at Victoria 3 one year later. Is this a game that deserves to stand beside Paradox's best yet? And if not, what's it still missing? We play armchair game dev for an hour and a half and unpack the difficulty of modeling both the beginning and the end of one of …

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Three Moves Ahead 600 - dotAGE 1:16:46

vor 2 Jahren1:16:46

1:16:46

100 episodes ago, we declared that video games are over. Did they ever come back? Also, what's this dotAGE game with authentic medieval chiptune music Overwhelmingly Positive user reviews?Von Idle Thumbs

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Three Moves Ahead 599 - Cities: Skylines 2 1:14:46

vor 2 Jahren1:14:46

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Len and Jon are joined by Sin Vega and Well There's Your Problem's Justin Roczniak (donoteat01) to discuss Cities: Skylines 2. We have some mixed feelings about this much anticipated sequel, and we don't shy away from pointing out what doesn't work while giving a few nods to what is new and cool. If you understand how garbage works in this game, pl…

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Three Moves Ahead 598 - Total War: Pharaoh 1:06:27

vor 2 Jahren1:06:27

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Len and Ian are joined by freelance writer Josh Broadwell to discuss Total War: Pharaoh, the first properly historical Total War in an actual age. We dig into the new campaign mechanics, the feel of the battles, and the scope of the map. Has Creative Assembly Sophia come from behind to take the title of Total War's A-Team?…

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Designer Notes 79: Trent Kusters - Part 2 2:21:37

vor 2 Jahren2:21:37

2:21:37

In this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Trent Kusters, co-founder of League of Geeks, best known for the strategy game Armello. They discuss why Armello has so much output randomness, whether they fudge the odds, and how to turn off a Game-as-a- Service. This episode was recorded on September 8, 2023.Games discussed: Armello, Magic…

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Three Moves Ahead 597 - Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew 1:03:13

vor 2 Jahren1:03:13

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This week, Jon is joined by RPS Editor in Chief Katherine Castle and freelance writer Dominic Tarason to discuss Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew. Mimimi's swan song, as we sadly learned after recording, is a follow-up and an evolution to Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun and Desperados 3, both games that we loved. What makes this one even better?…

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