Talking Torchlight 3 and clicking on monsters with ARPG design veteran Max Schaefer

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We play the newest ARPG with the guy who helped make Diablo, one of the oldest.

Torchlight 3 leaves Early Access and hits 1.0 on Steam today, so what the hell, let's play the game with Echtra Games CEO and ARPG veteran Max Schaefer. This guy's been making pointing and clicking on monsters to explode them an elementally good feeling since the early days, working on some of the greats, from Diablo to the original Torchlight.  

So listen in as we talk about Torchlight 3's strange transition from free-to-play Torchlight Frontiers into a more traditional pay-once-and-done ARPG, its journey through Early Access up against some big problems, and all about the invisible design tricks that make these games so much fun. 

We also dig into where Torchlight 3 fits into the larger, ever more crowded ARPG space, and how the tight knit ARPG developer scene gets along. These folks go way back. And if you're already a Torchlight 3 fan, Max drops a few hints about what to expect post-release.

James Davenport
James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.