🎙️ Romain, developer

Listen to audiobooks and podcasts; watches movies and TV shows; and plays video games

To start out, can you tell us a little about yourself and where people can follow your work?

I’m Romain, but I usually go by Roman in English—it’s just easier to pronounce!

I’m French and originally studied software engineering, but I ended up working as a product designer. I started working on my own media tracker, Sequel, because I needed to scratch that development itch again.

You can follow me on Mastodon and Threads. I haven’t been particularly active lately as I’m still figuring out how I want to use social media.

Given you make one of my favorite apps that I rely on, let's start there

Do you use Sequel across all five category types (Series, Movies, Books, Games, Audiobooks) yourself? And do you use anything else like Trakt, Letterboxd, etc. along with it?

I do, and I think the types Sequel currently supports are very much a reflection of my own media consumption habits! I also use Trakt, which I have hooked up to the Infuse app on my Apple TV. That way, it automatically marks movies and series as watched when I play them there.

Any tips or features you think most people underutilize or don't know about?

It’s hard to pick just one, but I’d say notes are definitely underutilized. A lot of people think of them as just a place to jot down who recommended something, but they’re actually a lot more powerful.

Since they support rich formatting, you could use them to keep track of memorable quotes from books or films, for example. But where they really shine is with games—you can create task lists to keep track of places you want to revisit, things you need to collect, or even just add links to guides and playthroughs for easy access.

Notes are a paid feature, but a free one that many people might not know about is the ability to search for an actor’s or director’s name from the online search. It’s a great way to find movies and series beyond just searching for a specific title.

Out of the five things you listed (audiobooks, podcasts, movies, shows, games), which do you find yourself spending the most time with?

Right now, audiobooks and podcasts take up most of my time. They’re pretty interchangeable for me—it just depends on my mood. They’re just so convenient to get in and out of! That said, I used to listen to a lot more audiobooks back when I had a daily commute.

After that, I’d say shows, followed by games—though I do wish I had more time for them!

What app/platform/service are you using to listen to audiobooks and podcasts?

For audiobooks, I primarily use Audible, though I’ve been trying to switch over to Apple Books and do use it occasionally but it never sticks.

For podcasts, it’s Overcast all the way. The audio engine is just so good!

Without your daily commute, where/how do you find yourself listening to podcasts and audiobooks these days?

I work from home, so I do most of my listening while doing chores, cooking, or getting ready for the day. I still listen when I take public, transport, but that's a lot less frequent than it used to be. Basically, if I’m not working, there’s a good chance I’m listening to a podcast or an audiobook. I’ve found it’s a great way to keep my mind engaged and make everyday tasks feel more productive.

What are you gaming on these days?

My gaming setup is a bit all over the place! I play most modern games on my PS5 and Switch, but I also love handhelds:

• I just finished Ocarina of Time 3D on my New Nintendo 2DS XL, which I’ve taken apart and heavily customized.
• I keep a Nintendo DSi XL around for DS games—because they just look better at native resolution.
• And I use an AYN Odin 2 (an Android handheld), mainly for GBA and GameCube emulation at the moment, but sometimes I’ll stream my PS5 to it.
  Honestly, I wish I had more time to play all of these!

What are some recent favorites of your from the five categories?

• Audiobook: I have to go with one of my all-time favourites: The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. But if you’re going to listen to it, make sure it’s the one narrated by Rupert Degas! His narration is unparalleled and truly immerses you in this world.
• Podcast: I have a bit of an addiction when it comes to gaming handhelds, so my pick is NPC: Next Portable Console. There’s a lot going on with handhelds lately and they do a fantastic job recapping what’s new!
• Movie: The Wild Robot. I went in with no expectations and got a charming, heartfelt movie that completely won me over.
• Show: It has to be Severance, right?!
• Game: I picked up Astro Bot recently and it’s such a delightful (albeit sometimes frustrating) game!

Are you still going to theaters for new movies or do you do most of your watching at home through streaming services?

I still go to theaters, but a lot less than I used to. Part of that is because I now have a pretty solid movie setup at home, and part of it is just knowing that most movies hit streaming services fairly quickly these days.

That said, I still go see films I’m really excited about—especially the ones with big, cinematic spectacle that truly benefit from being seen on the big screen.

Any last words about your media consumption or the state of entertainment?

I wish I had more time to actually consume media! There’s something ironic about spending countless hours working on a media tracker instead of tackling my own backlog.

There’s just so much great entertainment out there, and it’s easier than ever to access. Hopefully, Sequel helps people cut through the noise and focus on what they actually want to watch, read, or play, rather than just whatever happens to be highlighted on a streaming service’s homepage.

Anyone you think has good taste we should interview next

Definitely Sigmund Judge from Magic Rays of Light! He has a fantastic eye for great content and always has insightful takes on entertainment.