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154: Gathering Community with Ben Rausch and Anja Venter (Playtopia)

154: Gathering Community with Ben Rausch and Anja Venter (Playtopia)

Author: The Secret Lives of Games March 18, 2026 Duration: 2:06:08
The Secret Lives of Games
LeisureGamesVideo Games

Doug and Rob are joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis) and Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis) chat with Ben Rausch (Team Lazerbeam) and Anja Venter (Free Lives) about the Playtopia Festival for Indie Games & Immersive Arts that they help organize. They discuss some of the Festival's origins, the logistics of producing in-person games events, the state of alt-control/arts-focused games events around the world, the relationship between South African culture and Playtopia's structure, the importance of showing the new generation how to create these spaces, the balance of growing and maintaining a festival community, and more!  


Audio edited by Dylan Shumway

Discussed in this episode:

Playtopia Festival
https://playtopiafestival.co.za/about/ 

Shroom and Gloom
https://teamlazerbeam.itch.io/shroom-and-gloom

Jamming to map creative scenes and practices by Anya Venter
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02681102.2023.2281423

A MAZE Festival
https://2026.amaze-berlin.de/

The future of public game arts festivals and non-commercial games culture by Robert Yang
https://www.blog.radiator.debacle.us/2026/02/the-future-of-public-game-arts.html

Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant
https://grants.draknek.org/ 

Don't Get Your Hopes Up
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3795490/Dont_Get_Your_Hopes_Up/

boshi's place
https://boshis.place/events/ 

Glitch City
https://glitch.city/ 

Blood on the Clocktower
https://bloodontheclocktower.com/?country=US 

Pro Jank Footy
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3621330/Pro_Jank_Footy/

Plum Road Tea Dream
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3206340/Plum_Road_Tea_Dream/

Plum Road Tea Dream (Performance)
https://plum-road-tea-dream.com/#performance 

Dressmaker
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4019220/Dressmaker/

Cozy Lives Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cozylivesgames/reels/

Free Lives Discord
https://discord.com/invite/freelives

Sex with Friends
https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/3407070/

Wee Boats
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3578080/Wee_Boats/

Relooted
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3255890/Relooted/

Cadence
https://store.steampowered.com/app/362800/Cadence/ 

Starfriends
https://starfriends.online

Playtopia 2025 Showcased Games
https://playtopiafestival.co.za/games-2025/

 

https://secretlives.games 

https://discord.gg/tslog

https://www.patreon.com/tslog


Ever wonder what really happens between the initial spark of an idea and the final product you play? The Secret Lives of Games pulls back the curtain, offering a rare, unvarnished look at the creative journey. Each episode is built around a candid conversation with a game creator, moving far beyond simple promotion to explore the messy, beautiful, and often surprising realities of their work. You’ll hear about the late-night breakthroughs, the frustrating dead ends, and the personal philosophies that shape the games we love. This podcast is less about reviews or news and more about understanding the human effort behind the pixels and code. It’s for anyone who’s curious about the art and craft of game development, whether you’re a seasoned player, an aspiring designer, or simply fascinated by creative processes. Listen in for genuine stories about problem-solving, narrative design, artistic choices, and the intricate process of building interactive worlds. These are the detailed, behind-the-scenes discussions that reveal how games truly come to life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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