[Ep567] Indie Devs Talk PAX East Trends

[Ep567] Indie Devs Talk PAX East Trends

Author: Butterscotch Shenanigans April 8, 2026 Duration: 50:02

In episode 567 of 'Coffee with Butterscotch,' the brothers discuss their recent experiences at PAX East, the state of game engines like Godot, Unity, and Unreal, and the evolving landscape of game marketing and platform ecosystems. They explore the costs and benefits of conventions, the impact of platform policies, and the future of indie game development.

Support How Many Dudes!
Official Website: https://www.bscotch.net/games/how-many-dudes
Trailer Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgQM1SceEpI
Steam Wishlist: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3934270/How_Many_Dudes

00:00 Cold Open
00:31 Introduction and Welcome
01:09 Reflections on PAX East and Industry Presence
03:48 LudoKit: A Developer Tool for Publishing
08:47 The Value and Cost of Conventions for Indie Developers
11:56 Platform Ecosystems: Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and More
20:01 The Rise of Godot and Decline of Unity in Indie Development
29:41 Challenges of Platform Certification and Closed Ecosystems
39:52 Marketing Strategies: Wishlists, Pre-orders, and Visibility
48:06 The Evolving Landscape of Game Publishing and Industry Trends

To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts (apple.co/1LxNEnk) or wherever you get your audio goodness. 

If you want to get more involved in the Butterscotch community, hop into our DISCORD server at discord.gg/bscotch and say hello! 

Submit questions at https://www.bscotch.net/podcast, disclose all of your secrets to podcast@bscotch.net, and send letters, gifts, and tasty treats to https://bit.ly/bscotchmailbox. 

We also built Ludokit, a tool for managing store pages, promo art, localization, achievements, credits, fonts, change logs, and more. Check it out at https://ludokit.com!

Finally, if you’d like to support the show and buy some coffee FOR Butterscotch, head over to https://moneygrab.bscotch.net.

★ Support this podcast ★

Pull up a chair and pour something warm. Each week, the folks behind the award-winning indie studio Butterscotch Shenanigans-the creators of Crashlands-sit down to untangle the messy, rewarding, and often absurd reality of making games. Coffee with Butterscotch feels less like a formal broadcast and more like eavesdropping on a freewheeling conversation between friends who’ve been in the trenches. You’ll hear them dissect the nuts and bolts of development, from art pipelines to bug-squashing, but the discussion rarely stays in the technical lane. It veers into the philosophy of creativity, the rollercoaster of running a small business, and the strange habits that fuel productivity. The tone is unfiltered and genuinely funny, because the hosts don’t separate the work from the life surrounding it. This podcast digs into how to solve problems, ship your projects, and keep your sanity while doing it, all served with a heavy dose of camaraderie and self-deprecating humor. It’s a weekly dose of insight and laughter for anyone curious about the stories behind the screen, whether you're a seasoned developer, an aspiring creator, or just someone who enjoys peeking behind the curtain of how things are made.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 556

Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
Podcast Episodes
[Ep56] Crane Operating Baby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Meet one of the new hires, Andy, and learn all about his wide assortment of various life experiences. We also screech about making it into the PAX 10, give some updates on the new website and Crashlands controller suppor…
[Ep55] Disapproval Noodle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:09
We're now at capacity, having finished DUPLICATING our studio size this very week! In this episode we talk a bit about Pokemon Go, on the off chance you've never heard of it. Also, Sam tells us about the chocolate demon…
[Ep54] Hard Skip [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:42
Oh hey, Sam still doesn't have cancer AND America celebrated its "FREEDOM"! AMAZING! But what is freedom, really? We discuss that, along with sibling rivalries, Crashlands controllers support, and Carol's upcoming websit…
[Ep53] Infallible Weight Pope [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:35
After a 3-week hiatus, we come roaring back with a new teammate and a second-take episode (the first take will be lost forever to the void). Carol, our FIRST HIRE EVER, lays out her street cred while Sam tells stories ab…
[Ep52] Flying Electric Cephalopod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:01
The land of Butterscotch is quiet this week, aside from our attempts at waking up early. We turn to community questions and discuss the importance of playing games when you're developing them, and why none of us would ev…
[Ep51] Fanta Steak Demon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:46
Adam's throat is exploding this week so Sam and Seth tackle how to perform a blood sacrifice, why daily quests suck, and why it's hard to teach a pig to sing! To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe…
[Ep50] The Scooter Gap [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:03
DESCRIPTION This episode we talk about Adam's mental blindness, how to train away your nearsightedness, and why Metroidvanias are JUST THE FREAKIN' WORST. To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe to…
[Ep49] Whipped Cream Wrist Sphincters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:15
This episode we talk about TEAMWORK, the importance of psychological safety, and why we'd much rather shoot whipped cream out of our wristholes than hotdogs. To stay up to date with all of our buttery goodness subscribe…
[Ep48] Robomowing Ghost Goats [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:01
We just wanted to remind you that YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! And that your perception of time will only make you hurtle toward your death with increasing speed! So quit messin' around, listen to some songs by Jon Lajoie, and s…
[Ep47] Scream Tubes and Bacon Babies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:58
Having trouble finding motivation? Maybe this episode will help! Or hurt... You never know until you try. Sam talks about his self-handicapping problem, and we dig into the value of education in game dev. To stay up to d…