Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this interview, we sit down with Kacper Szymczak, CEO and Creative Director at Artificer, to break down Minos — a strategy game that blends maze-building, roguelike systems, and player-driven experimentation.
“I designed this game for me myself and I… and hope you like it as well.”
From redefining genre expectations to building a game around discovery instead of handholding, Minos stands out as something genuinely different.
We also dig into the realities of indie development — from scaling a team down to survive, to pricing strategy, platform decisions, and what happens immediately after launch.
👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise.
🔊 iTunes: apple.co/2OL6SSV | Spotify: spoti.fi/33gSiXa
📅 Chapters below
🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube
💬 Share your thoughts — we read every comment
0:00 Launching Minos – “The Quietest Release Ever”
1:37 What Is Minos? Maze-Building Meets Strategy
2:47 How Gameplay Actually Works (Traps, Pathing, Control)
3:40 Why It’s Hard to Define the Genre
5:43 Tower Defense vs Something New
6:52 Strategy Depth & Player Experimentation
9:16 Simple Design, Deep Complexity
10:20 “Discover It Yourself” – Core Design Philosophy
12:58 Why Greek Mythology Fits the Game
14:18 Adapting the Minotaur Story for Gameplay
16:24 Making the Minotaur the Main Character
20:15 Scaling Down from 45 to 12 Developers
21:39 Past Success vs Sales Reality
24:05 The Reality of Indie Game Pressure
25:05 Pricing Strategy Explained ($17.99 Decision)
27:30 Working With Devolver Digital
29:08 Steam Deck & Controller Design Philosophy
30:43 Console Potential (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch)
32:02 What Happens After Launch, DLC Plans & Future Projects
34:19 “I Designed This Game for Myself”
35:54 Final Message to Players
In this interview, we sit down with Kacper Szymczak, CEO and Creative Director at Artificer, to break down Minos — a strategy game that blends maze-building, roguelike systems, and player-driven experimentation.
“I designed this game for me myself and I… and hope you like it as well.”
From redefining genre expectations to building a game around discovery instead of handholding, Minos stands out as something genuinely different.
We also dig into the realities of indie development — from scaling a team down to survive, to pricing strategy, platform decisions, and what happens immediately after launch.
👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise.
🔊 iTunes: apple.co/2OL6SSV | Spotify: spoti.fi/33gSiXa
📅 Chapters below
🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube
💬 Share your thoughts — we read every comment
0:00 Launching Minos – “The Quietest Release Ever”
1:37 What Is Minos? Maze-Building Meets Strategy
2:47 How Gameplay Actually Works (Traps, Pathing, Control)
3:40 Why It’s Hard to Define the Genre
5:43 Tower Defense vs Something New
6:52 Strategy Depth & Player Experimentation
9:16 Simple Design, Deep Complexity
10:20 “Discover It Yourself” – Core Design Philosophy
12:58 Why Greek Mythology Fits the Game
14:18 Adapting the Minotaur Story for Gameplay
16:24 Making the Minotaur the Main Character
20:15 Scaling Down from 45 to 12 Developers
21:39 Past Success vs Sales Reality
24:05 The Reality of Indie Game Pressure
25:05 Pricing Strategy Explained ($17.99 Decision)
27:30 Working With Devolver Digital
29:08 Steam Deck & Controller Design Philosophy
30:43 Console Potential (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch)
32:02 What Happens After Launch, DLC Plans & Future Projects
34:19 “I Designed This Game for Myself”
35:54 Final Message to Players
