“Flash Games Should Never Have Died” – Alex Johansson, Experimental Game Maker - The Retro Hour EP493
This week we are joined by award-winning experimental designer, educator and game maker Alex Johansson of ALYO Games. He is the mind behind wild alt-controller creations like Muppet Boxing, syringe-powered co-op games and his new Morse code-based strategy title Morse. We dive into the wonderfully strange world of odd inputs, discuss why Flash games should have been preserved, explore how gaming can reach older and underserved communities, and hear how Alex’s love for tactile play has taken him from cardboard-box cockpits to the heart of the ham radio scene.
00:00 – Intro & guest Alex Johansson (ALYO Games)
01:00 – Early gaming experiences & Descent in a DIY cockpit
02:30 – Growing up with PC & consoles, Dreamcast nostalgia
04:00 – Favorite commercial alternative controllers (DDR, DJ Hero, Tempest knob)
06:00 – Alt control culture & experimental arcade machines
08:30 – Starting in indie games & teaching coding at summer camp
10:30 – Indie scene changes & pivot to games for older audiences
12:30 – Alt control subculture explained
15:30 – Muppet Boxing game & live expo chaos
18:30 – Flash games, preservation & influence on indie dev
21:00 – Vaccination: giant syringe alt-control game
24:30 – Adaptive controllers & accessible vs. approachable design
27:00 – Designing games for older audiences & dementia care
30:00 – Wii and elderly gaming legacy
33:00 – Corporate Salmon unexpected hit
35:00 – Playdate handheld & crank-based game design
37:00 – Morse: turning Morse code into a strategy game
41:00 – Ham radio inspirations & Morse as a real skill
46:00 – DIY telegraph controllers & nail clipper hack
49:00 – Release plans for Morse & Hamfest showcase
50:30 – Closing
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