Design Room
@designroom.bsky.social
A new website dedicated to video game oral histories from @mattleone.bsky.social. Find us at designroom.site. Logo by asawallander.se.
Big new story coming next week! You'd already know what it is if you subscribed to our newsletter, though... www.designroom.site#/portal/signup
January 8, 2026 at 12:25 AM
Big new story coming next week! You'd already know what it is if you subscribed to our newsletter, though... www.designroom.site#/portal/signup
Reposted by Design Room
Read (and hear!) how “Begin Again” from Sayonara Wild Hearts came to be. www.designroom.site/how-simogo-b...
By @designroom.bsky.social
By @designroom.bsky.social
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage
We talk with four members of the team about how "Begin Again" came about, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new.
www.designroom.site
January 6, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Read (and hear!) how “Begin Again” from Sayonara Wild Hearts came to be. www.designroom.site/how-simogo-b...
By @designroom.bsky.social
By @designroom.bsky.social
Reposted by Design Room
Happy new year! We've got big plans for 2026, but this seems like as good a time as any to poll the room: What games do you want to see oral histories on in 2026?
January 2, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Happy new year! We've got big plans for 2026, but this seems like as good a time as any to poll the room: What games do you want to see oral histories on in 2026?
Happy new year! We've got big plans for 2026, but this seems like as good a time as any to poll the room: What games do you want to see oral histories on in 2026?
January 2, 2026 at 6:13 PM
Happy new year! We've got big plans for 2026, but this seems like as good a time as any to poll the room: What games do you want to see oral histories on in 2026?
Reposted by Design Room
The final story in our music series is live!
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage
We talk with four members of the team about how "Begin Again" came about, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new.
www.designroom.site
December 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The final story in our music series is live!
Reposted by Design Room
Our music game series is now done, so let's recap it with original art by @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social.
December 22, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Our music game series is now done, so let's recap it with original art by @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social.
And finally, we talked with Simogo about Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new. www.designroom.site/how-simogo-b...
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage
We talk with four members of the team about how "Begin Again" came about, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new.
www.designroom.site
December 22, 2025 at 6:05 PM
And finally, we talked with Simogo about Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new. www.designroom.site/how-simogo-b...
Iwai had lots to say about his first game, the Famicom musical shooter Otocky, as well, so we then made that into its own story.
A rhythm-based shoot-'em-up in... 1987?
Before making Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton with Nintendo, Toshio Iwai designed a Famicom Disk System game starring a flying “sound warrior” called Otocky.
www.designroom.site
December 22, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Iwai had lots to say about his first game, the Famicom musical shooter Otocky, as well, so we then made that into its own story.
Next, @radishgames.com tracked down Toshio Iwai to talk about the canceled SNES first-party game Sound Fantasy and how that ultimately led to Electroplankton.
Toshio Iwai's journey from Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton
We profile the artist behind two of Nintendo's attempts at making experimental music games -- one a canceled Super Famicom game based on musical insects, and the other a Nintendo DS cult-favorite base...
www.designroom.site
December 22, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Next, @radishgames.com tracked down Toshio Iwai to talk about the canceled SNES first-party game Sound Fantasy and how that ultimately led to Electroplankton.
First, we talked to the folks in charge of Rez Infinite about the making of Area X and why we still haven't seen a follow-up almost a decade later.
After almost a decade, Rez Infinite remains gaming’s greatest tease
“If we're using the word ‘prologue,’ obviously something has to come after...”
www.designroom.site
December 22, 2025 at 5:58 PM
First, we talked to the folks in charge of Rez Infinite about the making of Area X and why we still haven't seen a follow-up almost a decade later.
Our music game series is now done, so let's recap it with original art by @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social.
December 22, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Our music game series is now done, so let's recap it with original art by @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social.
Reposted by Design Room
Begin Again is my favourite from Sayonara Wild Hearts and this made me immediately redownload it and play the level.
December 19, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Begin Again is my favourite from Sayonara Wild Hearts and this made me immediately redownload it and play the level.
The final story in our music series is live!
How Simogo built Sayonara Wild Hearts' best stage
We talk with four members of the team about how "Begin Again" came about, why it took them a year to finish it, and the challenges of building something new.
www.designroom.site
December 19, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The final story in our music series is live!
Reposted by Design Room
Holiday gift idea! Get someone a one-year Design Room subscription. Just go here, tip $70, and put their name, email, and the date you want it to start in the notes. www.designroom.site#/portal/supp...
December 4, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Holiday gift idea! Get someone a one-year Design Room subscription. Just go here, tip $70, and put their name, email, and the date you want it to start in the notes. www.designroom.site#/portal/supp...
And yes, that's an illustration from @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social that we haven't run on the site yet, showing the last story in our music series (coming soon!).
December 4, 2025 at 7:06 PM
And yes, that's an illustration from @wendyleftmealone.bsky.social that we haven't run on the site yet, showing the last story in our music series (coming soon!).
Holiday gift idea! Get someone a one-year Design Room subscription. Just go here, tip $70, and put their name, email, and the date you want it to start in the notes. www.designroom.site#/portal/supp...
December 4, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Holiday gift idea! Get someone a one-year Design Room subscription. Just go here, tip $70, and put their name, email, and the date you want it to start in the notes. www.designroom.site#/portal/supp...
Reposted by Design Room
New episode! How do you create an oral history feature about a game like Final Fantasy VII or Street Fighter 2? Former Polygon editor @mattleone.bsky.social joins us to discuss this, and his new site, @designroom.bsky.social.
Listen wherever you get podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/0dAo...
Listen wherever you get podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/0dAo...
The Oral Histories of Video Games (with Matt Leone)
open.spotify.com
November 14, 2025 at 12:54 PM
New episode! How do you create an oral history feature about a game like Final Fantasy VII or Street Fighter 2? Former Polygon editor @mattleone.bsky.social joins us to discuss this, and his new site, @designroom.bsky.social.
Listen wherever you get podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/0dAo...
Listen wherever you get podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/0dAo...
Reposted by Design Room
Thrilled so many folks are enjoying this piece. Iwai is one of the most fascinating developers I’ve ever interviewed and I couldn’t believe all the new details (and media) he was willing to share with me. Give it a read!
Next up in our music game series: a big profile of Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton creator Toshio Iwai, based on a three-hour call with @radishgames.com.
Toshio Iwai's journey from Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton
We profile the artist behind two of Nintendo's attempts at making experimental music games in the '90s and early 2000s -- one a canceled Super Famicom game based on musical insects, and the other a Ni...
www.designroom.site
November 20, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Thrilled so many folks are enjoying this piece. Iwai is one of the most fascinating developers I’ve ever interviewed and I couldn’t believe all the new details (and media) he was willing to share with me. Give it a read!
Reposted by Design Room
Incredible article with some brand new information on one of my all time favorite creators’ career!!
Next up in our music game series: a big profile of Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton creator Toshio Iwai, based on a three-hour call with @radishgames.com.
Toshio Iwai's journey from Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton
We profile the artist behind two of Nintendo's attempts at making experimental music games in the '90s and early 2000s -- one a canceled Super Famicom game based on musical insects, and the other a Ni...
www.designroom.site
November 19, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Incredible article with some brand new information on one of my all time favorite creators’ career!!
A game starring a flying "sound warrior" that started life as a video game stage show with three people playing simultaneously, all synced to the same soundtrack? It could only be Otocky. www.designroom.site/toshio-iwai-...
November 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM
A game starring a flying "sound warrior" that started life as a video game stage show with three people playing simultaneously, all synced to the same soundtrack? It could only be Otocky. www.designroom.site/toshio-iwai-...
Finally, we have four gameplay videos of Sound Fantasy, provided by Iwai, showing how the game was meant to be played. Which also means we have a YouTube channel now, though it’s mostly just for hosting videos like these.
Sound Fantasy Pix Quartet gameplay demo
YouTube video by Design Room
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Finally, we have four gameplay videos of Sound Fantasy, provided by Iwai, showing how the game was meant to be played. Which also means we have a YouTube channel now, though it’s mostly just for hosting videos like these.
Also in the main story: archival photos showing the packaging for Iwai’s canceled Super Famicom game Sound Fantasy.
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Also in the main story: archival photos showing the packaging for Iwai’s canceled Super Famicom game Sound Fantasy.
Alongside the profile, we also have a deep dive into Iwai's first game, the musical shoot-'em-up Otocky (exclusive to paid subscribers).
A rhythm-based shoot-'em-up in... 1987?
Before making Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton with Nintendo, Toshio Iwai designed a Famicom Disk System game starring a flying “sound warrior” called Otocky.
www.designroom.site
November 19, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Alongside the profile, we also have a deep dive into Iwai's first game, the musical shoot-'em-up Otocky (exclusive to paid subscribers).
Next up in our music game series: a big profile of Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton creator Toshio Iwai, based on a three-hour call with @radishgames.com.
Toshio Iwai's journey from Sound Fantasy to Electroplankton
We profile the artist behind two of Nintendo's attempts at making experimental music games in the '90s and early 2000s -- one a canceled Super Famicom game based on musical insects, and the other a Ni...
www.designroom.site
November 19, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Next up in our music game series: a big profile of Sound Fantasy and Electroplankton creator Toshio Iwai, based on a three-hour call with @radishgames.com.
Nothing planned at the moment, but would love to at some point.
November 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Nothing planned at the moment, but would love to at some point.