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.
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