Into the Depths: Caves of Qud Finale

Into the Depths: Caves of Qud Finale

Author: The Secret Lives of Games November 26, 2025 Duration: 3:54:01

We're proud to present the final installment of our over-a-year-long Into the Depths series on Caves of Qud, as well as our last episode with our recently retired Eggplant branding. Caves of Qud is a massive open-world roguelike RPG that has been in development since 2007 and Early Access since 2015, and we give it an appropriately epic sendoff with nearly four hours of deep discussion.

Doug and Rob, joined by special guest host Star St. Germain, dive into the game's finale and overarching themes with narrative designer Caelyn Sandel and co-creators Jason Grinblat and Brian Bucklew. Be warned, major spoilers await: We discuss the aftermath of the Tomb of the Eaters, the Moon Stair, the [Redacted], Reclamation, We Are [Redacted], plus other juicy details about how this legendary game finally came to an end… and what's in store for it next.

Audio edited by Dylan Shumway.

Discussed in this episode:

Brian's must-follow bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/unormal.bsky.social

Warm static – Official Caves of Qud wiki
https://wiki.cavesofqud.com/wiki/Warm_static

Independent Games Summit: What Even is 1.0?: Indefinite Early Access and Live Development
https://gdcvault.com/play/1035081/Independent-Games-Summit-What-Even

End-to-End Procedural Generation in Caves of Qud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV-DZqdKlnE

Tile-Based Map Generation using Wave Function Collapse in 'Caves of Qud'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdCgi9E90jw 

Caves of Qud Discord
https://discord.com/invite/cavesofqud

Eris – Girsh Illustration
https://www.reddit.com/r/cavesofqud/comments/1n449aw/girsh_qas_and_qon/

A Mythopoetic Interface Reading of Caves of Qud (Roguelike Celebration 2025)
https://www.youtube.com/live/UQNfH9pKWd4?si=jFy9VTRZzLPJHn4W&t=1091 

Sproggiwood
https://store.steampowered.com/app/311720/Sproggiwood/

Slav Epic Paintings by Alphonse Mucha
https://www.muchafoundation.org/en/gallery/themes/theme/slav-epic


https://secretlives.games/ 

https://bsky.app/profile/secretlivesofgames.bsky.social

https://www.youtube.com/eggplantshow 

http://discord.gg/tslog

https://www.patreon.com/tslog

(full rebrand still in progress, lol)

 

 


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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