Stupid Little Games with Jess Pardue
Hello friends old and new! Welcome to Stupid Little Games, a podcast where we talk abut all things gaming from the inside out. Each week, I (Jess Pardue) sit down with an insider from various parts of the gaming industry, from indie to AAA. We talk about our current gaming obsessions, tell stories from projects past and present, and then we’ll play a Stupid Little Game that I write especially for each guest, all with a splash of humor and whimsy. If you’re an industry veteran yearning to hear stories from fellow devs, new to the industry and looking to make your mark, or just someone who loves video games, then this is the show for you!
Episodes
Hey Chat!
Today Jess sits down with hilarious Twitch streamer, Youtuber, podcaster and certified Tamagotchi fanatic Joseph Birdsong, AKA Halfmoon Joe!
They discuss Nancy Drew subculture, the realities of streaming for a living while (mostly) keeping your sanity, and the futility of trying to get through missions in Red Dead Redemption 2 while your unhinged (but amazing) chat actively spawns old maiden-type mobs.
Then during Joe's ...
On this week's very special episode, Audio Engineer Gabe has taken the reigns and interviews Jess for a change! Jess is completely comfortable with being on the other side of the microphone . . . yeah let's go with that.
They chat about Gabe's two rules for his Baldur's Gate 3 characters (Spoiler alert: one of them is being naked at all times), how Jess went from retail in SC to video games in NYC, and how operations management sk...
Hey y'all, onboarding is hard...
So this week Jess sits down with Xbox Principal User Researcher and onboarding expert Dr. Deborah Hendersen!
They talk about the psychology behind onboarding for all types of games, Dark Souls being a bastard (but that's a good thing!), and the importance of playtesting, playtesting, playtesting.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game about the psychology of playground games, and Jess learns about th...
New episode alert!
This week Jess sits down with the amazing Natalie Asport - former Avalanche hard surface and weapons artist and current senior prop artist making badass Mortal Kombat assets at NetherRealm Studios! She's also an adjunct professor at NYU Game Center teaching the next generation of 3D artists.
They chat about predatory puzzle game ads on Instagram, having the discipline to actually hone your craft when you just w...
On this week's episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess welcomes former Bethesda and CCP games exec Jon Lander! They chat about the importance of networking (especially these days), crowd-surfing at Fanfest, and the quest to get the game industry to grow up, just a teeny little bit...
Then during the Stupid Little Game they answer the question, "Would you rather be kidnapped by Bowser or Donkey kong?"
Which would *you* choose?
This week, Jess chats about her experience as a first-timer at GDC! Spoiler alert: It didn't go at all as originally planned... but it did include liquid choreography, so win-win? Then you'll hear a few Current Obsessions interviews with fellow game devs taken on-site. And finally, Jess gives a very specific (and not-at-all exhaustive) GDC Top 10 List!
Special thanks to Zach Abramson from You Too Can Woo; Jon Sato from Studio Nuggi...
This week, Jess sits down with Minecraft creative lead and DigiPen senior lecturer Orvar Halldorsson!
They chat about taking gaming classes at 3AM, rotoscoping Liam Neeson's beard, and how Orvar's team enables Minecraft players to craft their own experiences. Then they play a Stupid Little Game about *totally* real Minecraft mods. Shout out to Butter Dog!
Thanks so much for listening! Please consider leaving us a review on Apple or...
On today's very special episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess chats with true Brooklyn creative Mike Varley: video game producer, award-winning multi-media artist, and professional bagel eater!
They discuss the latent political power of gamers, the traits that can make you a successful producer, and how to walk 7000 miles without dying. Then they play a Stupid Little Game that asks how long it takes to walk from Kakariko Village to...
Hello friends old and new!
Jess is back this week with Andre Coleman - a 10+ year Senior QA Engineer who has worked with EA, Experis, Microsoft, and Avalanche Studios! They discuss turning off "QA brain" when you're playing games for fun, what QA *actually* entails (spoiler alert: it's not just playing games all day), and Andre makes us all hungry talking about New Orleans cuisine.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Smarty...
Hello friends old and new! We made it to February. Good job, us!
We're back with an exciting new episode this week as Jess chats with veteran AAA Art Director Thomas Klingstrom! They discuss entering the game industry as a new artist, how to not stray from your vision during production, and why if you see a celebrity in New York, no you didn't.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Video Game Sommelier!
Special thanks to today...
Repost Alert! Jess was very smart and accidentally erased this episode a few weeks ago. Did we mention she's very smart? So we're reposting so that it can be discovered all over again! Please enjoy this banger from a few months back. See you next Tuesday with a brand new episode.
_____________________
Hello friends old and new!
On this week's episode, Jess chats with veteran hard-surface artist Scott Smalley - best known for the J...
Hello friends old and new!
On this week's episode, Jess sits down with Matthew Laurence; *nearly* 20 year games industry veteran formerly of Crowdstar, Rovio, Megazebra, Embark, and Ubisoft. Currently he's the Engagement and Narrative director (yes both!) at Avalanche studios. He's also a HUGE nerd (affectionate).
They chat about being a garbage human (and that's ok!), the importance of game economy design, and chasing gaming job...
Hello friends old and new!
This week Jess is joined by Alison Lacy, Chief Operating Officer of Radical Forge and Co-Chair of Liverpool GameChangers! They talk about video game towns, the importance of inter-studio coalition building, and the myth of the genius asshole.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game all about knitting in video games (and Weezer songs).
_____________________
Stupid Little Games is a podcast all about gaming f...
Happy New Year Stupid Little Gamers! We're back with a banger this week as Jess sits down with Stefanía Guðrún Halldórsdóttir, current CEO of Avalanche Studios Group, former GM of CCP games (of Eve Online fame), and perhaps most importantly, accomplished Sportacus mustache artist!
They chat about the best mobile games to disassociate to, the wonder and magic that is LazyTown, and a few lessons and challenges from a lifetime of bein...
In this very special episode, Jess welcomes back Hamish Young (our first repeat offender!) for a comprehensive chat about The Game Awards from an insider game dev perspective. We go through every upcoming announcement (yup, ALL of 'em) and then give out a few Stupid Little Game Awards of our very own.
Is this a long episode? Yes.
Is this episode still shorter than the actual Game Awards? Also yes.
This is the last episode of the...
This week, Jess sits down with video game, TTRPG, and board game crowdfunding expert Anya Combs!
They chat about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, sexism in the world of music (and games!), "riding the cow to get to the horse" when trying to fund your passion projects, and Anya's amazing gig as a professional punk saxophonist.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game called "Saxophoning it In!"
_____________________
Hello friends old and new!...
On this week's episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess sits down with video game audio guru Jason Kanter! He's done sound design, audio direction, and voice direction on franchises such as League of Legends, Bioshock, and the Just Cause series.
They chat about games making you feel stupid, advice for sound designers old and new, and Jess says the word "squelching" way too many times.
Then they play a Stupid Little Game called Audio ...
On this week's episode, Jess sits down with Kay Purcell, Community Manager and games industry journalist extraordinaire. They talk about working at Deviant Art during the wild west days of the internet, making the Floss too cringe to continue (Thanks Kay!), and the irresistible pull of tabletop role-playing games.
Then they play a supersized Stupid Little Game where Jess GM's a whole-ass adventure for Kay! Can Pesto the plastic sk...
On this episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess chats with Benjamin Jaekle - narrative and game designer, indie game dev, and culinary hobbyist - about voluptuous pixels, the difficulty of writing jokes for video games, and working on your own game every day, even when life happens...
Then they play a Stupid Little Game about cooking mechanics that Benja is way too good at.
If you're an industry veteran yearning to hear stories from...
On our premiere episode of Stupid Little Games, Jess sits down with Hamish Young, former game director, producer, and programmer on franchises such as Burnout, Need for Speed, and Just Cause (just to name a few). They chat about the olden days of game dev, getting lost in Leipzig in a borrowed Porche, and Jess quizzes Hamish on *mostly* Need for Speed trivia.
If you're an industry veteran yearning to hear stories from fellow dev...
Popular Podcasts
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.