Check out the first episode with Matt Roszak from Kupo Games!
When I started doing YouTube, one of my long-term dream goals was to do interviews with game developers. I not only love video games as a hobby but I love hearing about the craft, struggles and yes, even the business realities behind them. I think it’s valuable as an enthusiast of this medium to not only experience the games but also to learn about what goes into making them and the people that do so. Few things are more fascinating to me then hearing a creative person talk about their creativity.
It’s been a long time coming but I’m super stoked to announce Behind the Games, my new YouTube series devoted to doing exactly that!
My goal with this series is to make things informal and more like a friendly chat, flowing between topics as we go. Everything’s unscripted, aside from maybe a few notes of basic things to ask and there’s no set time limit. There are plenty of interview shows on YouTube but I always find more formal interviews to be a bit stuff and rigid. I think just allowing the creators to talk about whatever interests them with no pressure will bring out the most interesting stories and really let us get to know the person, not just their business. I’ve been trying to get this series started for a while but when you’re an unknown YouTuber and don’t have an episode to show off your format, people are understandably leery to be the guinea pig. Thankfully, I found an awesome developer who was gracious enough to take a chance on me.
My first episode is with Matt Roszak from Kupo Games, sole creator of the Epic Battle Fantasy and Bullet Heaven series, among other titles. I had not heard of Kupo Games before getting a review code for Bullet Heaven 2 last year, a game I think very highly of. I then discovered that Matt has an impressive body of work, starting largely in the Flash space and has carved out a very interesting niche for himself at a young age. It was the first on-camera interview for both of us and while that maybe shows through a bit, I think we had a great conversation about a whole bunch of stuff and I learned a lot about him and his history in game development. Matt was a fantastic first guest and I can’t thank him enough for agreeing to start this series with me. You can see footage of some of his games in the video but seriously, they’re all free to play anyway so if you think you’d have any interest, you should check them out.
I have a bunch of other developers I’d love the chance to chat with and I’m hoping having this first episode out in the world will make that easier. Like all my series, this isn’t going to be on a set schedule and new episodes will come out when I’m able to get new guests. I’d like to talk to almost anyone and everyone who makes games, whether from a small team or a big one but I’ve got a few ideas for who I’d like to approach next and it’s mostly indie developers.
Please feel free to drop a comment on the video with any feedback you have. As long as it’s constructive, I’m happy to hear it. This being the first one of these I’ve done, I’ve already noted things I can improve and they’ll only get better with time. My first YouTube videos make me cringe compared to my newer ones but that shows me that with a good effort, things always get better.
Most importantly, if you like this stuff, please help spread word by posting it on Reddit, forums, social media, anywhere you think it would interest people. Nothing makes it easier to get more guests than high views.
I’m super excited to launch this series. It’s been a dream of mine for the nearly three years(?!) I’ve been doing YouTube and with your help, it can become a regular staple of the channel. Give it a watch and let me know what you think! Thank you again to Matt from Kupo Games, it was a pleasure talking to you and I hope I can again soon.