Game Maker's Notebook

Re-release: Bioshock Creator Ken Levine on Judas, Writing and Narrative in Games

Game Maker's Notebook

Show Notes

We're on a release break for new episodes, so here's one our past great chats from Oct, 9 2023! Adam Orth chats with Ken Levine, the legendary creator behind the Bioshock series and the upcoming Judas. Together they discuss Ken's journey into game writing; using art as a healthy outlet for processing uncomfortable subjects; dealing with the pressure of following up the first Bioshock game due to its massive success and popularity; how to tackle complex narratives and concepts aimed at general audiences; his thoughts on AI; and how to avoid falling into the trap of arrogance. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

More from Game Maker's Notebook

Oct 12, 2026

Grammy and Bafta winning composer Austin Wintory stars in the premiere episode of Source Files, a new series in the Game Maker's Notebook podcast family where we ask developers what games were most influential in their own careers. Austin recounts which three games had a profound influence on his own work on titles such as Journey, The Banner Saga series, and the Grammy award winning Sword of the Sea. Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Oct 5, 2026

Chris Charla chats with The Game Bakers' Audrey Leprince and Emeric Thoa about their latest release, the climbing adventure Cairn. Together they discuss the history of their studio with titles like Furi and Haven; how they approach narrative by making players make big choices with no clear right or wrong answers; how Cairn recreates real world climbing; balancing difficulty and expanding player freedom; and the noticeable surge of great games originating from France. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Chris Charla Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt

Sep 28, 2026

Jun Shen Chia chats with Michael Francisco, Senior Product Development Manager, Marvel Games and Reed Baird, Senior Producer, SIE PlayStation Studios XDEV. Together they discuss the development of MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls including how the project was first envisioned and when they began working with Arc System Works; the process of designing a character and importance of representing their story within their move set; and pioneering a 4 vs 4 tag team fighter that's balanced with both casual and competitive players in mind. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Jun Shen Chia Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Sep 14, 2026

Trent Kusters chats with Jonathan Smith, Vice President, Product at TT Games. Together they discuss his path from the LEGO Company to TT Games and helping define the pillars of a LEGO game; the importance of teamwork and consistency towards their continued success; working with DC to bring the entire Batman universe into a definitive experience with LEGO® Batman™: Legacy of The Dark Knight; and how they balanced the grittiness of the Batman IP with the joy and whimsy of the LEGO brand. This episode is supported by Xsolla Episode Host: Trent Kusters Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

Aug 31, 2026

Adam Orth chats with Jean Nguyen, the creator behind the viral hit Dinoblade. Together they discuss his early work in games through animation; the story of his viral animation featuring a Spinosaurus with a sword; deciding to expand on the concept and make it a full game; learning game development through self-study thanks to online sources like YouTube; and how to create a believable sword-wielding dinosaurs. This episode is sponsored by: Xsolla iam8bit Episode Host: Adam Orth Producers: Claudio Tapia and Josh Chu, The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving us a rating and review. Support the show and get all of our episodes early/ad-free: https://bit.ly/4kU34Lt Follow us: linktr.ee/AIAS Please consider supporting game dev students with: AIAS Foundation

See all episodes →