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The Goth Boss Podcast

The Goth Boss Podcast

Auteur(s): Cat Burton
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À propos de cet audio

Hi! I’m Cat Burton, a games industry veteran of 17 years.


This is The Goth Boss Podcast where I dive into the real challenges of making games and running studios.


From burnout and imposter syndrome to scaling teams and finding funding, I share honest stories and conversations with inspiring people across the games industry.


Whether you’re leading a studio, building your first game or growing a team, my goal is to help you survive and succeed in the games industry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cat Burton
Gestion et leadership Économie
Épisodes
  • From Half-Life 2 Mods to Bloodlines 2 w/ Dan Pinchbeck
    Nov 11 2025

    Dan Pinchbeck is the co-founder of The Chinese Room, the award-winning studio behind many wonderful games including Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, Little Orpheus, Still Wakes The Deep and most recently Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2.


    In this episode, we talk through Dan’s incredible journey with the studio. From its early days making Half-Life 2 mods to becoming one of the UK’s most distinctive storytelling studios. Dan opens up about the highs and lows of running a team and what really happened behind the scenes. He gives an honest insight into how he navigated creative burnout and what led him to leave the studio before Bloodlines 2 shipped.


    We also get into some big industry topics: the AI hype sweeping game dev, what’s broken in the games industry and what gives him hope for the future of smaller studios.



    Chapters:

    00:00 The Origins of The Chinese Room

    03:49 Starting with Mods: Conscientious Objector, Antilion Soccer, Dear Esther & Korsakovia

    05:11 Moving to Commercial Games: Dear Esther and Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs

    07:02 Shifting from Walking Simulators to Horror Games

    12:39 The Formation of The Chinese Room as a Company

    16:33 The Impact of Studio Size on Development

    20:23 Funding Struggles and the Studio Downsizing in 2017

    25:57 Recovery and the Sumo Group Acquisition

    29:06 Little Orpheus and Maintaining Creative Control After Acquisition

    34:01 The State of the Game Industry

    39:26 The Impact of AI on Game Development

    45:46 Challenges for Indie Developers

    48:27 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

    01:02:43 What's next for Dan



    About Dan:

    Dan Pinchbeck is a writer, creative director, and co-founder of the acclaimed UK studio The Chinese Room. With a background in academia and digital arts, he’s known for pioneering narrative-driven experiences that blur the line between storytelling, atmosphere, and player agency. Dan’s work has helped shape modern indie game storytelling and inspired a generation of developers to experiment with emotion and meaning in games. You can find him on:

    Dan's Website: https://www.danpinchbeck.co.uk/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danpinchbeck/




    About Me

    Hi, I’m Cat Burton! I've built studios, raised funding and shipped games to millions of players. Now I help you do the same with expert games consultancy and advice. The Goth Boss Podcast dives into the real challenges of making games and running game studios by sharing honest stories and inspiring conversations with my industry friends.


    You can connect with me on:

    GothBoss (Games Consultancy & Coaching): https://www.GothBoss.co.uk

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gothbosscat

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gothbosscat.bsky.social

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gothbosscat


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 h et 9 min
  • How to Future-Proof Your Game Industry Career
    Oct 22 2025

    The game industry might be unpredictable, but your career doesn’t have to be.


    In this episode, I share ten practical tips to help you stay strong while working through these really tough times.


    Chapters:

    00:00 10 Practical Tips to Future-Proof Your Career

    02:00 Tip 1: Focus on What You Can Control

    03:04 Tip 2: Be Ready for Change

    05:25 Tip 3: Lift Others Up

    07:23 Tip 4: Stay Visible

    09:41 Tip 5: Protect Your Energy

    12:49 Tip 6: Build Your Confidence

    16:10 Tip 7: Lead with Transparency and Trust

    19:41 Tip 8: Stay Curious and Keep Learning

    22:09 Tip 9: Create Financial and Mental Stability

    24:59 Tip 10: Redefine Success

    27:15 Recap



    Links:

    UK game industry Slack: https://www.ukgamesindustry.com/

    Imposter syndrome episode: https://youtu.be/hOTjI38cnCg?si=vogYLgBkFVvJ0AP3

    Burnout episode: https://youtu.be/1tKNL_iuk1c?si=L_HSNh-5hA1vfWlR



    About Me:

    Hi, I’m Cat Burton!

    I've built studios, raised funding and shipped games to millions of players. Now I help you do the same with expert games consultancy and advice. The Goth Boss Podcast dives into the real challenges of making games and running game studios by sharing honest stories and inspiring conversations with my industry friends


    You can find me on:

    Goth Boss Studios: https://www.GothBoss.co.uk

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catburton

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gothbosscat

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gothbosscat.bsky.social

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gothbosscat


    Take Part:

    Send me your questions to answer in future episodes! Or if you would like me to interview someone to hear about their game industry career, game or studio, please recommend them. Send me a message at: https://www.gothboss.co.uk/podcast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    30 min
  • Can Game Design Change The World?
    Oct 14 2025

    What if the key to solving the climate crisis, social inequality and even human behavior wasn’t found in policy papers, but in games?

    In this episode, I sit down with Trevin York, founder of Dire Lark, to explore how Games for Change are reshaping the way we tackle global challenges. From climate action and healthcare to finance and education, Trevin reveals how playful design can turn complex, serious topics into experiences that inspire real-world impact.

    We dive into the power of data to understand players, what it takes to design for transformation and the surprising business realities of running a purpose-driven game studio. You’ll hear how AI is influencing funding and what aspiring designers can do to build games that truly make a difference.

    If you’ve ever wondered how games could actually change the world, this conversation will make you rethink what “serious play” really means.


    Books:

    Design for the real world by victor Papanek: https://amzn.to/43d7nKK

    Design when everybody designs by ezio manzini: https://amzn.to/3KKd2lh

    Designs for the pluriverse by Arturo escobar: https://amzn.to/4nMxzV3

    Ideas Arrangements Effects by the Design Studio for Social Intervention: https://amzn.to/477DpJx

    The Transformational Framework by Sabrina Culyba: https://amzn.to/4n446Vt

    Trevin's book - The Game Needs to Change: https://www.routledge.com/The-Game-Needs-to-Change-Towards-Sustainable-Game-Design/Prax-Whittle-York/p/book/9781032836195?srsltid=AfmBOoq7wZEBpY_yHJWvlB1iKJPOXi4CLmyWnPxGWdl4q1DXIl7DWJ69



    About Trevin

    Trevin York has spent over a decade collaborating with talented teams to make games and other interactive experiences focused on effecting lasting change. As the founder of Dire Lark, Trevin works with organizations ranging from tech startups to game studios to international firms, bringing game design techniques and processes to projects aiming for real-world positive impacts across a variety of contexts. You can find Trevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevin-york/, and Dire Lark at: https://direlark.co.uk/


    About Cat

    Hi, I’m Cat Burton! I've built studios, raised funding and shipped games to millions of players. Now I help you do the same with expert games consultancy and ecosystem building. The Goth Boss Podcast is where I dive into the real challenges of making games and running studios.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    56 min
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