Devoted Speakeasy

Author: Devoted Studios

Devoted Talks is a podcast series hosted by Ninel Anderson. We talk with the industry's top voices to share their knowledge and insight and help artists grow. Lets get real!
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Language: en

Genres: Leisure, Video Games

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What FNAF Taught Us About Horror Games | Devoted SpeakEasy Ep40 with Jason Topolski
Episode 40
Friday, 6 February, 2026

🎨 Devoted Fusion — hire vetted game art talent, manage production, and ship faster.https://app.devotedfusion.com/artfeed?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=speakeasy_ep40Horror games are kind of EVERYWHERE right now. Indie horror, psychological horror, spooky animatronics… You name it. So we wanted to talk to someone who literally makes these games and knows what is going on.Jason Topolski (JTop) from Steel Wool Studios joined Devoted SpeakEasy to talk about making horror games, working on Five Nights at Freddy’s, and why fear is such a strong tool in game design. We get into why horror is a great starting point for small teams, how Steel Wool packs environments with layered details and backstories, and why leaving things unexplained can be WAAAAY scarier than showing everything.🧑 About Jason:Jason Topolski is a Creative Director and Co-Founder at Steel Wool Studios. He has worked at Pixar and Telltale and also does improv, board game design, voice acting, and directing.Jason on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtopolski/ Steel Wool Studios https://steelwoolstudios.com/ 🔗 Follow Devoted Studios on Social Media: 🎨 Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/devoted-studios 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devotedstudios 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devotedstudios 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/devotedstudios_ 💬Discord: https://discord.gg/6x46SWhC 💻 Visit the website: https://www.devotedstudios.com