Why Games Work the Way They Do | Eric Koziel
ABOUT Eric:
Eric Koziel is the Director of Systems and Product at Azra Games, an MIT-trained engineer, cybersecurity researcher, speedrunning expert, reverse engineer, and author of Speedrun Science. After spending years dissecting how games work at the deepest technical levels, he now applies those same principles to designing game systems that create better player experiences.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
How speedrunning changes the way we understand games
Why reverse engineering is a powerful creative tool
The science behind optimizing game systems
What developers can learn from speedrunners
How Eric transitioned from analyzing games to building them
Designing better player experiences through data
The story behind debunking the famous Dragster world record
How MIT and cybersecurity shaped Eric's approach to game design
Why seemingly impossible game secrets still exist decades later
The mystery behind Treasure Master's hidden level
Balancing creativity, mathematics, and player psychology
What the future holds for game systems and optimization
In This Episode…
Carl sits down with Eric Koziel, Director of Systems and Product at Azra Games, MIT engineer, cybersecurity researcher, speedrunning expert, and author of Speedrun Science, to explore the hidden systems that make video games work.
Eric shares how a lifelong fascination with understanding games evolved into a career designing them, revealing how reverse engineering, scientific thinking, and player behavior all intersect to create better gaming experiences. From uncovering impossible world records to breaking decades-old encryption hidden inside classic NES games, this conversation dives deep into the technical side of creativity.
Whether you're a game developer, designer, programmer, speedrunner, cybersecurity enthusiast, or simply curious about what happens behind the code, this episode offers a fascinating look at the science powering the games we love.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
🎮 X (Twitter): https://x.com/TheOmniGamer
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