All Systems Brough - Vertex Dispenser

All Systems Brough - Vertex Dispenser

Author: The Secret Lives of Games January 30, 2026 Duration: 1:52:29

We're joined by droqen (The End of Gameplay, Starseed Pilgrim), Darius Kazemi (Tiny Subversions, Harvard Applied Social Media Lab), and Tara Macalister (mathematician, composer) to discuss Vertex Dispenser, the second game in our year-long exploration of the work of Michael Brough.

Next Month: Kompendium

Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.

Discussed in this episode:

Vertex Dispenser
https://store.steampowered.com/app/102400/Vertex_Dispenser/

Michael Brough's Website
https://www.smestorp.com/

Four color theorem
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_color_theorem

Graph coloring
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graph_coloring 

Starcraft II
https://starcraft2.blizzard.com/en-us/

Splatoon
https://splatoon.nintendo.com/ 

Dota 2
https://www.dota2.com/home 

Droqen's rare color graph/explanation
https://discord.com/channels/690388280767807518/1442554518092120186/1465039921147412510 

lots of michael brough games
https://smestorp.itch.io/lots-of-michael-brough-games 

The Sense of Connectedness
https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=16151.0 

Kompendium
https://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/06/kompendium.html

The End of Gameplay
https://droqen.itch.io/the-end-of-gameplay

Utopia Clicker
https://tinysubversions.com/game/utopia/

A Jackpot of Skulls
https://brainfruit.studio/games/jackpot

_update() Jam
https://adamatomic.itch.io/update-jam

 

https://secretlives.games/ 

https://discord.gg/tslog

https://www.patreon.com/tslog

https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow


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: 100

The Secret Lives of Games
Podcast Episodes
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Ninpek [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:11
We're joined by Adam Robinson-Yu (A Short Hike) to discuss Ninpek, the third game in the UFO 50 collection. "It's ninja time! Run and jump to reach the end of the world." Next week: Paint Chase, with guest co-host Caroly…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Bug Hunter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:48
We're joined by Frank Lantz (Universal Paperclips), Jack Schlesinger (Knotwords), and John Axon (Battle Vision Network) to discuss Bug Hunter, the second game in the UFO 50 collection. "The moon quarry has a bug problem…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Barbuta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:58
We're joined by Xalavier Nelson Jr. (I Am Your Beast), Sylvie (Sylvie Lime), and Gabe Cuzzillo (Ape Out) to discuss Barbuta, the first game in the UFO 50 collection. "Explore the castle but watch out for traps!" Next wee…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:45
We introduce Eggplant Presents: A Year of UFO 50 - our new 1-year weekly show covering every game in the UFO 50 collection. Join us! Next week: Barbuta, with guest co-hosts Xalavier Nelson Jr. and Gabe Cuzzillo.
Into the Depths: Slice & Dice - Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:00:59
In this 3rd and final installment of our latest deep-dive miniseries, the crew continue to discuss "yahtzee roguelike" Slice & Dice, a host favorite that has made our GOTY list for two years running. We're joined once ag…
An otherworldly Eggplant announcement! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:38
Sorry for the lack of new episodes! We have some big stuff brewing though, tune into this announcement for the details.
141: Challenging Orthodoxy with sylvie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29:28
Doug and Zach talk to prolific game maker sylvie (love game), together with guest co-host Raigan Burns (Metanet Software). We talk about sylvie's design process, freeware games, subverting traditional orthodoxies around…
140: Minding Your Manors with Botany Manor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:32
We're joined by Laure De Mey and Kitt Byrne of Balloon Studios to chat about their Victorian first-person puzzler Botany Manor. We discuss building a space that feels the right amount of "real," letting history guide you…

«1...678910