The Ready Up Podcast – Series 5 Episode 14 – Press Up to Hercule Poirot

This week we welcome our special guest Andrew Parsons, producer for Devolver Digital. Devolver are the noteworthy publishers of such indie hits as Enter the Gungeon, Hotline Miami, The Talos Principle, Downwell and Titan Souls. But what exactly does it mean to be an independent publisher and a publisher of independents? Hang on for our interview to find out.

What have you been playing? Andrew’s been killing dudes with Chandeliers in Hitman and takes the time to explain the nuances of the series to Dean. Andrew also tells us about his trip to Pax East in Boston and how it inspired him to drop back into Fallout 4. Finally, Andrew talks about Reigns, a forthcoming game that sees you taking the reins (sorry) of a medieval King ruling over his kingdom with a Tinder interface. He also talks about the Leap Motion (apologies, not the Magic Leap) which provides the perfect peripheral. In the recording

Meanwhile, Dean’s been struggling through Dark Souls 3 but has gotten a bit stuck. Dean’s also been struggling to like and understand Smite, since he wants to play it with his friends, but he’s wondering whether it might be a bit to prescriptive for his tastes.

To put Dean’s self-flagellation into perspective Susan tells us what she’s been up to including playing Futurama: Game of Drones (which is 33% better than a match-three game), Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders (which we attempt to reimagine as a MOBA starring notable TV detectives through history, and then pitch to Andrew for Devolver Digital to publish) and Miitomo, the most pointless app to end all apps (but points = picross).

Guest Spotlight We interview Andrew about his role at Devolver Digital, how the studio selects developers to work with and what exactly it means to be a publisher of indies.

Theme of the Week For our theme of the week, and in honour of Andrew, we each think of the game that we’d most like to publish. Needless to say Andrew’s is the most sensible (what a pro!).

Two Truths, One Lie Dean has a go at introducing Two Truths, One Lie, in which Andrew tells a likely story about sidling awkwardly past a gaggle of gaming royalty in a Croatian hotel.

You can follow Andrew on Twitter (@threewayswitch). Find out more about Devolver Digital, or you can follow them too (@devolverdigital).

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Ready Up Podcast theme music courtesy of Tommy Tallarico.