Episode 202

Goodnight Universe (with Jill Grodt - The Indie Informer)

February 11th, 2026

1 hr 51 mins 46 secs

Your Host
Tags

About this Episode

Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog

Goodnight Universe had a lot to live up to as the spiritual successor to Before Your Eyes, utilizing the same innovative webcam-based gameplay mechanics to tell a story...about a psychic baby? Well, the premise sounded weird but these creators had earned my trust, and it turns out that this might be the perfect way to play as a baby in a video game. Goodnight Universe turned out to be interesting, if not great, and won me over in a few key ways. Check out the discussion for more!

Guest info: Jill Grodt (she/her)

TIMESTAMPS

  • 0:00 Title Card
  • 0:30 Introductions
  • 8:01 Our Histories with Goodnight Universe
  • 11:51 Opening Thoughts About Goodnight Universe
  • 17:49 Story Setup, Characters and "The Cave"
  • 31:28 Camera Tracking Tech & Gameplay
  • 41:06 What Didn't Work?
  • 52:28 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
  • 55:36 The Indie Informer
  • 59:27 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
  • 1:01:00 Spoiler Section- Big Reveals
  • 1:27:35 Spoiler Section- The Family

Music used in the episode is credited to Oliver Lewin. Tracks used: Homecoming, A New Channel, Normal Boy, Being Orson, Your Room

Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

Support Tales from the Backlog