Life in 60 Seconds: Michael Frei’s ‘Time Flies’

About this episode

Michael Frei discusses his journey in game design and the importance of minimalism and personal meaning in creativity.

Award-winning artist, animator, and game designer Michael Frei joins Nate and Joseph to share his creative journey from apprentice construction draftsman to co-founder of Zurich’s Playable, the indie studio behind critically acclaimed interactive works like Plug & Play , Kids , and the meditative mortality sim Time Flies . Michael breaks down his minimalist approach to game design—how stripping away noise can lead to emotional clarity—and explains why humor, absurdity, and interaction are central to his artistic voice. He reflects on transitioning from animation to games, his fascination with weird player dynamics, and why making something personally meaningful matters more than chasing trends. Frei also shares lessons from testing, iterating, and publishing across platforms, as well as advice for aspiring indie creators navigating simplicity, success, and staying creatively grounded in a crowded market. Check out Michael Frei's Resources: https://michaelfrei.io/ https://x.com/panic https://bsky.app/profile/michaelfrei.io https://www.instagram.com/michaelfrei10/ Games Mentioned: FIFA - Michael's favorite game to play Glider Not About Us Plug and Play Time Flies Windowsill…

People in this episode

Hosts: Nate Kadlac, Joseph Rueter

Guest: Michael Frei

Topics covered

• game design
• creativity
• indie games
• animation
• player dynamics

Keywords

• Michael Frei
• game design
• indie games
• minimalism
• creativity
• Time Flies
• Plug & Play
• animation
• player dynamics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Playable

Products: FIFA, Glider, Not About Us, Windowsill, Feet Ahead

Books & works: Time Flies, Plug & Play, Kids

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