EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Pingolf

EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Pingolf

Author: The Secret Lives of Games April 25, 2025 Duration: 1:34:35

We're joined by Ben Wilson (Saltsea Chronicles), John Axon (Capybara Games), and Scott Anderson (Unity) to discuss Pingolf, the 31st game in the UFO 50 collection.

"Each year the best golfers in the galaxy show up to compete at the UFO Invitational."

Next week: Mortol II

Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.

Discussed in this episode:

Desert Golfing
https://store.steampowered.com/app/757040/Desert_Golfing/ 

Golfing on Mars
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1340570/Golf_On_Mars/

Cursed to Golf
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1726120/Cursed_to_Golf/

Executive Golf DX (Playdate)
https://play.date/games/executive-golf/

Yoku's Island Express
https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/

Scott's Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/impossible.bsky.social

John's Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/johnaxon.bsky.social

Ben's Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/zerofiftyone.bsky.social

Ben's Crosswords
https://zerofiftyone.net/

The End of Gameplay by droqen
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3120040/The_End_of_Gameplay/

31 Unmarked Games by droqen
https://droqen.itch.io/31-unmarked-games 

Episode 69 – Building a Better Bridge with Ben Wilson
https://eggplant.show/69-building-a-better-bridge-with-ben-wilson

Episode 129 – Reinforcing Worldbuilding through Gameplay with Spoils
https://eggplant.show/129-reinforcing-worldbuilding-through-gameplay-with-spoils 

A Year of UFO 50 - Golfaria
https://eggplant.show/ep-a-year-of-ufo-50-golfaria

 

https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow 

http://discord.gg/eggplant

https://www.patreon.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 - Pilot Quest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:07
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Eileen Hollinger (Capybara Games) to discuss Pilot Quest, the 44th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The Campanella has crashed! Fix it by harvest…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Elfazar's Hat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:27
We're joined by Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Colin and Sarah Northway (Northway Games) to discuss Elfazar's Hat, the 43rd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Elfazar is hailed as a gre…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Night Manor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:26
We're joined by Star St. Germain (Aconite), Madison Karrh (Birth), and Zach Aikman (Chuhai Labs) to discuss Night Manor, the 42nd game in the UFO 50 collection. "Trapped in a nightmare where you must use your wits to sur…
Into the Depths: Caves of Qud (Sidequests Special) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:30:03
In this bonus installment of our current Into the Depths series, we continue diving into Caves of Qud. This sprawling open-world roguelike has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015. Doug and Rob - jo…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Lords of Diskonia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:41
We're joined by Trent Kusters (League of Geeks), John Axon (Capybara Games), and Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok) to discuss Lords of Diskonia, the 41st game in the UFO 50 collection. "War has come to Land of Disks, and…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Grimstone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:18:06
We're joined by Stephanie Boluk (UC Davis), Patrick LeMieux (UC Davis), and Trent Kusters (League of Geeks) to discuss Grimstone, the 40th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Praise Biggan, the four of you survived the saloo…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Star Waspir [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:01
We're joined by Jay Ma (Into the Breach), Steve Gillham (OzymandiasAV), Adam Dolin (God of War: Ragnarok), and Zatoichi (Juggler/UFO 50 Enthusiast) to discuss Star Waspir, the 39th game in the UFO 50 collection. "You are…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Rakshasa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:00
We're joined by Tonda Ros (Blue Prince) and doseone (Enter the Gungeon) to discuss Rakshasa, the 38th game in the UFO 50 collection. "Even death won't stop Jangi from avenging the destruction of his village by demons!" N…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Valbrace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:26
We're joined by Scott Anderson (Unity), Carolyn Petit (Kotaku), Xanagear (youtube.com/xanagear), and Glove (UFO 50 Historian/ska podcaster) to discuss Valbrace, the 37th game in the UFO 50 collection. "No knight has ever…
EP: A Year of UFO 50 - Hyper Contender [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:11
We're joined by Scott Anderson (Unity), Alfredo Barraza (Riot Games), and Alex Jaffe (Riot Games) to discuss Hyper Contender, the 36th game in the UFO 50 collection. "The daring, desperate, and indebted fight for money i…