James Sinclair shares his remarkable journey from immigration lawyer to full-time puzzle crafter and creator of the Artisanal Sudoku Substack—a haven for lovers of elegant, human-made Sudoku variants.

In this episode, James breaks down his puzzle design philosophy, his preference for handcrafted logic over AI generation, and how he’s turned personal passion into a growing newsletter, a community of solvers, and a published puzzle book. The conversation covers everything from the joys and challenges of variant Sudoku to the deeper question: What makes a puzzle satisfying to solve?

James also shares thoughts on monetization, platform choice, audience building, and why central hubs like Logic Masters Germany play a key role in the global puzzle scene. Plus, he previews Sudoku Con, talks about the fog-based puzzle design he’s experimenting with, and gives rapid-fire takes on puzzle pet peeves, dream collaborations, and favorite solves.

🧩 Games, Platforms & Influences Mentioned

• Variant Sudoku – His main craft
• Artisanal Sudoku – James’s Substack newsletter
• Logic Masters Germany (LMG) – Puzzle publishing hub
• Cracking the Cryptic – Popular YouTube channel mentioned
• Sudoku Con – Community event
• Dynamic Fog puzzles – One of James’s current experiments
• AI-generated puzzles – Discussed critically

🌐 Websites & Platforms Mentioned

• Website: https://artisanalsudoku.substack.com/
  https://substack.com/@artisanalsudoku

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• (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background
• (01:13) - James Sinclair's Favorite Games
• (02:26) - Discovering Sudoku
• (05:04) - Exploring Variant Sudoku
• (08:53) - Starting Artisanal Sudoku
• (18:09) - Creating and Publishing Puzzles
• (22:12) - Choosing Substack and Growing an Audience
• (27:24) - Creating Puzzles for the Newsletter
• (28:14) - Logic Master Stot Land: A Puzzle Haven
• (29:21) - The Need for a Central Puzzle Platform
• (31:40) - Marketing Strategies for Substack
• (33:09) - The Journey to Publishing a Sudoku Book
• (38:53) - AI and Handcrafted Puzzles
• (46:11) - Sudoku Con and Community Events
• (47:35) - Rapid Fire Questions and Puzzle Preferences
• (50:15) - Dynamic Fog Puzzles and Final Thoughts

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com

Angela Swain and Mariam Mollaghaffari join Aaron Kardell on Hey, Good Game to share how two longtime friends turned a nostalgic obsession with wordplay into Silly Little Games—a vibrant, human-crafted daily puzzle experience.

Angela (a flight attendant with a journalism background) and Mariam (an architect with design chops) break down the collaborative, scrappy spirit behind their Rebus-style puzzle game Silly Little Codes. From hand-drawing hundreds of clever puzzles in Figma to battling bad developers and solving design challenges (including a keyboard that nearly derailed their launch), the duo talks candidly about their indie journey—complete with frog-fueled editing fights and dream expansions into physical card games.

The episode explores how Angela and Mariam are navigating indie game development without coding skills, what they've learned from BlueSky and social media outreach, and why they’ve stayed committed to handcrafted design in an AI-saturated market. They also tease upcoming games under the Silly Little Games umbrella and share honest insights about self-funding, monetization plans, and growing a community of puzzle lovers.

🧩 Games & Favorites Mentioned

• Silly Little Codes (Angela & Mariam's daily puzzle game)
• Backgammon (Mariam’s nostalgic favorite, tied to her Iranian heritage)
• Bingo and Spoons (Angela’s family-friendly picks)
• Architecture as Tetris (Mariam compares architectural design to the game)

🔗 Website & Socials

• Website: https://www.playsillylittlegames.com
• Instagram, Threads, TikTok, BlueSky: @playsillylittlegames
• Note: Not on Reddit (permanently banned 😅)

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• (00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
• (01:42) - Favorite Games and Nostalgic Memories
• (05:09) - The Origin Story of Angela and Mariam's Friendship
• (07:47) - Creating Silly Little Games: The Initial Idea
• (11:57) - Designing and Collaborating on Puzzles
• (30:14) - Challenges in Developing the Digital Game
• (32:02) - Starting Over: The Struggles of Development
• (32:46) - Keyboard Woes: A Major Setback
• (33:59) - Finding the Right Developer
• (34:54) - Balancing Passion and Practicality
• (39:59) - Monetization and Future Plans
• (49:25) - Challenges with Social Media and Promotion
• (01:02:15) - Looking Ahead: New Games and Growth

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com

From Haunted Pixels to Conservation: Peter Lazarski on Art, Accessibility, and Indie Game Grit

Indie developer and visual artist Peter Lazarski—aka Imaginary Monsters—joins Nate to explore his creative evolution from childhood horror obsessions to crafting cult-favorite lo-fi games like Halloween Forever and Deathstate. Known for his pixelated gothic aesthetic and offbeat charm, Peter shares how games like Earthbound shaped his visual language and love for physical editions.

The conversation touches on Peter’s iterative design process, how he blends art with mechanics, and why accessibility and emotional tone matter in indie games. He also unpacks the ethos behind his newest project, Don’t Kill the Bats—a whimsical but meaningful game raising awareness for bat conservation.

Peter reflects on developing under an alias, building community through mentorship, and finding creative purpose in strange, spooky spaces.

Check out Peter's Resources:
https://imaginarymonsters.com

https://imaginarymonsters.shop

https://twitch.tv/imaginarymonsters

https://discord.gg/imaginarymonsters

🎮 Favorite Games Mentioned:

• EarthBound (SNES) – Peter’s all-time favorite
• Tactics Ogre (Re-release) – Currently playing
• Persona 5 – Currently playing
• F-Zero, Super Mario World – Childhood favorites
• Commander Keen, DOOM, Wolfenstein – Early PC gaming
• Monster Party (NES) – Referenced for sprite interpretation
• Metroid II (Game Boy) – Admired for its enemy art in the manual
• Ayuda Mort – ZX Spectrum-style indie game that influenced Halloween Forever
• Castlevania – Referenced as a typical “bat enemy” game
• Splatterhouse – Mentioned as a game style he’d love to try
• Rolling Stock – Mentioned earlier as a favorite (possibly in a different episode or cut)

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• (00:00) - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
• (01:41) - Peter Lazarski's Gaming Preferences
• (02:15) - Early Gaming Influences and Inspirations
• (04:42) - The Impact of Earthbound and Physical Game Editions
• (13:36) - The Evolution of Halloween Forever
• (18:04) - Challenges and Iterative Development
• (23:56) - Art and Mechanics in Game Design
• (26:44) - Nostalgia and Artistic Style
• (28:59) - Visual Exploration and Prototyping
• (30:36) - The Evolution of Imaginary Monsters
• (33:14) - Navigating the Alias
• (39:48) - Community and Mentorship
• (43:54) - Design Philosophy and Accessibility
• (48:38) - Introducing 'Don't Kill the Bats'
• (50:54) - Connecting with Imaginary Monsters
• (52:21) - Conclusion and Farewell

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com