I’ve had a few conversations with Strange Scaffold’s Xalavier Nelson, Jr. over the years, but it still feels like there’s so much to talk about.
That’s mostly because Xalavier is such a deeply thoughtful, interesting guy.
But the reason I first reached out to talk wasn’t because of the amazing games he was releasing - like Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator, Hypnospace Outlaw, and An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs - but because of where he was living.
Xalavier lives in El Paso, Texas, the same city in the desert where I went to high school and where my mom and step-dad still live. I was amazed to hear that such a talented game maker was living in a city so unusual that it, at times, feels like a liminal space.
We’ve chatted about his love of the city and how it impacts his game-making. I found it so interesting that I thought it was worth delving into again for this very random podcast.
To set expectations, even though we chatted on the day Co-op Kaiju Horror Cooking hit Steam, we didn’t discuss it. And although Xalavier will be the voice of the lead in the upcoming Hellraiser game, we really didn’t get too much into the game itself. However, we did talk a bit about horror in general and that particular horror.
Instead, this is a podcast about the process of making games, the luck that often drives success in this industry, and, of course, Triscuts.
I hope you enjoy it.
Audio engineering by Dave Tach.
