S3E1. Creating the sense of immersion for any game – with Harvey Smith, co-creator of Dishonored & Deus Ex
The House of the DevShow Notes
In November of 2025, Raphael Colantonio and Peter Salnikov met agaiin to share the experience of the best game developers worldwide. In the first episode they talk to Harvey Smith, the renowned designer and writer (Dishonored, Deus Ex) about creating solid connections between games and gamers, with elementary examples of good and bad. Learn how to create a webshop for your mobile game: https://bit.ly/3Mb3SPo Supported by Indie Go, the investment fund for independent devs: https://bit.ly/4opM7cC - What’s Harvey Smith up to after Arkane?- Obvious & unobvious ways to create decent immersion for any game;- So many things to crush a game director, and only one way to heal. Things we don’t talk about too often;- The importance of the last 6 months in game development – that final touch which makes a game special;- Big cities vs. the wilderness & why do we need boring characters?- Bartering quality for comfort. Things we love about progress, and things that frustrate us. This and much more – in the massive and sincere first episode of The House of The Dev podcast in season 3. Watch video version fo the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHouseofTheDev --- Ads: ERID: 2Vtzqvzvi5w ERID: 2Vtzqw9nxDX
More from The House of the Dev
Рафаэль Колантонио и Петр Сальников снова у микрофонов. В этом выпуске они общаются с Дэйвом Ошри — сооснователем и директором New Blood Interactive (Dusk, Fallen Aces, Gloomwood и др.). Обсудили их уникальный подход к раннему доступу, умение слушать игроков и смелость посылать мейнстрим подальше.
Raphael Colantonio & Peter Salnikov are back at the mics to talk to Dave Oshry, co-founder and CEO of New Blood Interactive (Dusk, Fallen Aces, Gloomwood etc) about their unique approach to early access, listening to players and saying ‘screw you!’ to mainstream. Find financial support for your game studio at IndieGo Fund: https://indie-go.ru/fund – Are retro-looking games easier & safer to create? – Episodic games as TV seasons. Why big updates are good; – “Better to have a sold-out club show than to play for an empty stadium”; – Front to end, brick by brick. Core devs & floating teams: what’s New Blood’s pipeline like? – A rushed game will stay bad forever: why it’s important to take the time you need.
Chris Avellone, the legendary writer and game designer, talks to Raphael Colantonio and Peter Salnikov on his approach to storytelling and narrative design in games and much more in this thoughtful, very open and sometimes funny episode. Hire, pay, and stay compliant with your team in 100+ countries, in one place: https://mellow.io/demo?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=influence&utm_campaign=general&utm_content=thotd Find financial support at IndieGo Fund: https://indie-go.ru/fund - Who is Chris Avellone, and how his experience at the D&D table affected his future career; - How ‘Typhon’ became ‘Prey’ - and how the story of that game came to be at all; - The damage devs take from using forced IPs: cases of Dark Messiah of Might & Magic, System Shock 2; - Choices in RPGs and the depth they provide; the cases Mass Effect & Fallout: New Vegas’ Legion; - Why is Pathfinder: Kingmaker more Fallout than Baldur’s Gate? - Restraints as values: how limitations might lead a game out of the darkness; - Leaks, scores, bad PR, press relations and other mutual pains of game developers & media.
Крис Авеллон, легендарный сценарист и геймдизайнер, беседует с Рафаэлем Колантонио и Петром Сальниковым о своём подходе к сторителлингу и нарративному дизайну в играх и многом другом в этом откровенном и местами смешном эпизоде.
Рафаэль Колантонио и Петр Сальников общаются с Ником Германом, соавтором Dispatch, большого хита 2025 года, о кинематографичных играх, снижении порога входа для новых игроков, эпизодической структуре и плаванию против течения. При поддержке Indie Go: https://bit.ly/4opM7cC