[Ep567] Indie Devs Talk PAX East Trends

[Ep567] Indie Devs Talk PAX East Trends

Author: Butterscotch Shenanigans April 8, 2026 Duration: 50:02
Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
GamesGames & HobbiesArtsComedyCultureHobbiesPhilosophySocietySociety & CultureTechnology

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

Official website RSS
Game Dev Podcast | Coffee with Butterscotch
Podcast Episodes
[Ep506] With a Twist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:43
In this episode, we discuss beta testing, incentive structures, and nostalgia. Making a sequel comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not just about adding new features. It’s about recreating the warm fuzzy feeling t…
[Ep505] Bureaucracy of Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:39
This week, we talk about achievements, game modes, and getting older. With age comes creaking joints, a myriad of responsibilities, and the horrors. But getting older also grants you the freedom to let go of the nonsense…
[Ep504] Working Together [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:01
In this episode, we discuss beta testing, boss fights, and collaboration. Collaborating with other studios sounds like a dream: by our creative forces combined, and all that. But true, meaningful collaboration isn’t just…
[Ep503] Attention Economy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:31
This week, we talk about localized trailers, mundane tasks, and ads. In the attention economy, ads are tricky beasts. They’re expensive, algorithm-driven, and rarely pay off. But when they work, they can boost visibility…
[Ep502] Crashlanding Near You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:20
In this episode, we discuss, drumroll please, the Crashlands 2 Launch Date! There's at least one rad thing happening in 2025: Crashlands 2 is finally going to be released into the world. And we know EXACTLY when! Check o…
[Ep501] Twenty-Twenty-Vibe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:31
This week, we talk about premium mobile games, balance mechanics, and the theme of the year. It’s twenty-twenty-vibe: just do your thing. Find your rhythm, go with the flow, and keep your momentum up without getting bogg…
[Ep500] Algorithm Gods [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
In this episode, we discuss our predictions for the consoles, Steam and mobile industry. 2024’s moniker was “20 2x4 (two-by-four): Nail it” – what should 2025’s call to action be? We’ve got some ideas, but we want to hea…
[Ep499] Number Crunch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:08
This week, we talk about 2024 stats, community engagement, and integration. Making things work together is never simple. Small changes can cause big ripples, and keeping the machine running means constant tweaks, steady…
[Ep498] Monopoly of Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:46
In this episode, we discuss flying drones, design bibles, and subscription models. Subscription services for games are different from streaming services. The goal isn’t for the player to binge and bounce. These models fa…
[Ep497] Be Curious, Not Judgmental [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:07
This week, we talk about the shiny new trailer for Crashlands 2! Plus, Steam page changes and the magic of curiosity. A lesson we could all learn from cats: be curious. Every question you ask, and the way you ask it, cha…

«1...34567891011...56»