Podcast
Idle Thumbs
Hosted by Idle Thumbs · EN
Idle Thumbs is an independent podcast network whose podcasts span comedy, pop culture and entertainment, video games, and TV.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Three Moves Ahead 652 - ZeroSpace Early Access Interview
1w ago01:13:55Tap to summarizeLen sits down with Game Director Marv Gouw and Consulting Art Director (and Relic co-founder) J. Aaron Kambeitz to talk about ZeroSpace, a new RTS inspired by the greats of the genre with BioWare-style cutscenes and story decisions. We dig into the odd place RTSes find themselves in the industry right now, how the "Homeworld look" relates to typefaces, and how the changes in the games industry today echoes those the film industry went through decades ago.
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Designer Notes 96: Owen Mahoney
3w ago01:29:19Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Soren interviews Owen Mahoney, who served first as the CFO and then as the CEO of Nexon. They discuss what the transition to free-to-play meant for game design, how to make sure your company has the right type of shareholders, and how close Nexon came to buying Riot. This episode was recorded on March 11, 2026, and was engineered by Michael Hermes. Games discussed: Pong, Spacewar, Choplifter, RobotWar, QuizQuiz, MapleStory, KartRider, Stellaris, League of Legends, Minecraft, ARC Raiders, Lethal Company
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Three Moves Ahead 651 - Age of Empires II in 2026 feat. Hera
Jun 1201:00:39Tap to summarizeLen and DM are joined by the current Age of Empires II world champion, Hera, to discuss the state of the game in 2026. We try to explain its longevity, examine what it takes to be a top-level esports player, and discuss Hera's streamer invitational tournament, The King's Gauntlet.
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Designer Notes 95: Seth Sivak
Jun 602:59:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Soren interviews Seth Sivak, best known as the co-founder and CEO of Proletariat, makers of World Zombination and Spellbreak. They discuss how he invited hover doobers, the many times Proletariat almost went out of business, and whether free-to-play still makes sense. This episode was recorded on September 13, 2025, and was engineered by Michael Hermes. Games discussed: Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Unreal Tournament, Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?, Half-Life, Gears of War, Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Cafe World, Frontierville, Mafia Wars, Adventure World, Dragon Age Legends, FarmVille, CityVille, World Zombination, Clash of Clans, Streamline, Pokemon Go, DayZ, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Speakbreak, DOTA 2, Civilization IV, Apex Legends, World of Warcraft
Transcribe →Three Moves Ahead 650 - Slay the Spire 2
May 1001:09:37Tap to summarizeLen and Jon are joined by PC Gamer's Evan Lahti to Slay the Spire once again in the roguelike deckbuilder sequel. We discuss why our intrepid host is so bad at this game, if she can even be helped, and what the wackiest combos we've seen so far look like.
Transcribe →Designer Notes 94: Charles Cecil - Part 2
May 403:33:36Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Charles Cecil, co-founder of Revolution Software and best known for his work on Beneath a Steel Sky and the Broken Sword series. They discuss why he made a game about the Knights Templar, how digital distribution changed the publisher-developer relationship forever, and what made the goat puzzle unfair. This interview was started on April 14, 2025. Games discussed: King’s Quest series, Broken Sword series, Beneath a Steel Sky, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Lure of the Temptress, In Cold Blood, Gabriel Knight series, The Da Vinci Code, Darwinia, CLANG, Broken Age, Heavy Rain, Monkey Island series
Transcribe →Three Moves Ahead 649 - Xenonauts 2
Apr 2301:13:09Tap to summarizeLen, Jon, and Sin gear up and get ready to die on the first turn to some BS in Xenonauts 2, a sequel to a throwback to a classic tactics game. We discuss how it stacks up to the old school UFO Defense, the Firaxis reboots, and the best Noah Wyle show, Falling Skies.
Transcribe →Designer Notes 93: Charles Cecil - Part 1
Apr 2001:56:49Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Soren interviews veteran game developer Charles Cecil, co-founder of Revolution Software and best known for his work on Beneath a Steel Sky and the Broken Sword series. They discuss various dodgy tax avoidance schemes, what the Bitmap Brothers faxed to Acclaim, and how to teach players the grammar of adventure games. This interview was started on April 14, 2025. Games discussed: Galaxian, Adventure A, Adventure B, Bandersnatch, World Cup Football, World Cup Carnival, Lure of the Temptress, the Broken Sword series, Beneath a Steel Sky, the Monkey Island series
Transcribe →Three Moves Ahead 648 - Heart of the Machine
Mar 2801:10:00Tap to summarize3MA is finally embracing AI! Okay, not really. But Len and Jon do have many thoughts about Heart of the Machine, a fascinating, story-driven strategy RPG about becoming the world's first sentient computer.
Transcribe →Three Moves Ahead 647.5 - Len and D.M. Join the Yakuza (WtHTI Patreon Preview)
Mar 1401:02:15Tap to summarizeLen is joined by long-time friend and collaborator, real life video game lawyer D.M. Schmeyer, to reconnect over tales of nearly 30 years nerding out together and discuss what we're currently in to and up to. Games Discussed: The Necromancer's Tale Amorantus Esoteric Ebb
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