Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators

If you're a fan of the Gameboy era Zelda games, MINA THE HOLLOWER would have caught your eye. When you found out it's the team behind SHOVEL KNIGHT, I bet you got pretty excited. Well David D'Angelo and Nick Wozniak developers on the game say don't get it twisted, while the game is inspired by Link's Awakening and Oracle of Ages and Seasons, it's a different take on the top...

Game design legend Josh Sawyer sat down with Roy Wagner at PAX Australia to talk about his journey into the industry, from being a fan of Black Isle Studios to eventually working on the games that inspired him. Sawyer digs into the tension between indie and AAA development and why studios like Obsidian still make smaller, experimental projects like PENTIMENT . We also chat about the big question e...

In the entertainment industry, a triple threat refers to someone ridiculously talented at acting, singing and dancing. So, what does that make Alanah Pearce, the Australian video game writer, actor, content creator, film producer, and one-time boxer: a quintuple threat? The Dispatch voice actor recently announced Charred Pictures , a production company that helps indie game developers adapt their...

How do you keep a game like World of Warcraft that has had ten previous expansions, fresh? Paul Kubit is Associate Game Director and sat down with Seamus Byrne ahead of the launch of WoW's 11th expansion which promises revamped zones, a return to Quel'Thalas and the much coveted in-game housing. It's a second chapter in a three part series which is also a first for the long running MMO...

How do you follow up on a massive hit like Binding of Issac? With piles and piles of cats fed into the mill to defeat your enemies and possibly solve every problem. Edmund McMillen joins Lightmap for an in depth chat about the cat breeding and battle simulator, plus we talk about the Camdrone Project. Pocket Casts: You can now rate the show on Pocket Casts, give us a five star review learn more by...

Join us for a deep dive into the sonic worlds of 2025’s best sounding games with special guest Meena Shamaly - composer, bard, and host of Game Show on ABC Classic. From the haunting choirs of Hollow Knight: Silksong to the mythic rhythms of Hades II, we explore how music shapes emotion, gameplay, and storytelling. Meena brings his unique perspective as both a composer and broadcaster to unpack th...

I can hear the sounds of controllers being thrown from here. We spoke to Australian developer Bennett Foddy ( QWOP ,  Getting Over It , Baby Steps ) who is now based in New York about difficulty, the biggest misconceptions about his work and the time someone threw a controller at his museum exhibit, as well as many other fun topics. You can catch Bennett Foddy In Conversation at ACMI on the 14th o...

You've probably seen their videos, you might have even pondered where the hell is Morley. Well its in our hometown and we travelled all the way across the country to chat to some people who are like a 20minute drive away. Vi, Riley Aaron and Ricky from the Good Games Morley ⁩ crew shared how they've actually defeated and consumed the algorithm, how people aren't super impressed when th...

The SIFTER team had a chance to talk to Gavin Verhey from Wizards of the Coast at PAX AUS 2025. Gavin is the principal designer of Magic: The Gathering and also the lead designer on many Magic sets including the record breaking Final Fantasy set. We chat about the infamous Vivi Ornitier card and what it’s like designing cross over sets for Magic. We ask Gavin about points based formats like Austra...

Nom from the SIFTER team catches up with Allard Laban and Mike Bilder from Jackbox Games to chat about the upcoming The Jackbox Party Pack 11 at PAX Australia 2025. This new pack builds on everything fans love about the series and introduces five fresh games that will have you laughing, scheming and showing off your creativity. But that’s not all. Mike and Allard also tease a new streaming service...

In this interview recorded at PAX Australia 2025, we sit down with Rob Davis, Campaign Director at Sucker Punch Productions, to dive deep into the making of Ghost of Yōtei, out now on PlayStation 5. Rob shares insights into quest design & player choice and how the team shapes quests, major fights, and designs with different playstyles in mind. How new character Atsu an Onryō compares to Ghost...

Seven years on, CELESTE 's impact is still felt on the gaming world. A hard but fair 2D platformer with a heartfelt story about self-acceptance, it's a game that lives on in the hearts of many. Viewed by LGBTQIA+ players as a relatable trans allegory, Celeste also represents a deeply personal journey for its creators. Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry of Extremely OK Games spoke to Sifter where...

Dave Lloyd, co-founder of indie studio Powerhoof, returns to the show to talk about THE DRIFTER , a gritty point-and-click adventure set against a distinctly Australian backdrop. With evocative pixel art, sharp voice performances, and thriller-inspired storytelling, THE DRIFTER marks the studio’s first major narrative outing after the multiplayer chaos of 2018’s Regular Human Basketball and Crawl...

Award-winning composer Austin Wintory returns to the podcast to discuss his work on Indie Symphony II , a concert series performed by Orchestra Victoria on July 3 and 4 2025. Austin shares insights into the creative process behind scoring indie games like ABZÛ and Hades II , and how these soundtracks come to life in a live orchestral setting. We also revisit his previous appearance, where he talke...

The UNPACKING team return with their next game, the musical puzzle game TEMPOPO and composer and sound designer Jeff Van Dyck joins Lightmap for another episode. Pick the right sequence, keep trying until you get it right and find the flowers to rebuild your garden, this puzzle game for all ages is colourful and joyful. Find out what inspires Jeff to keep creating, the challenges and what he think...

LUSHFOIL PHOTOGRAPHY SIM is all about the vibes and heavily inspired by developer Matt Newell's own treks around the world with camera in hand. Originally starting as a project to create some fantastic scenery it morphed into a camera sim and featuring locations like Meelup and Castle Rock Beach in Matt's home state of Western Australia and his new home in Japan, this chill game is all abo...

CITIZEN SLEEPER 2: STARWARD VECTOR  is a special kind of game, one that builds so gently and thoroughly on its predecessor, with a bigger universe to explore for lovers of heartfelt science fiction. Developer Gareth Damian Martin joins us again, to share design intentions about expanding this world, how players narrativise every choice they make, and why this might be the last video game in this w...

One of my favourite things each year is when Meena Shamaly host of Game Show on ABC Classic sends me the big list of tracks that have made a massive impact. These games might not be winning massive awards, a lot of them do of course, but you know every piece of music you’re going to hear has made an impact on Meena’s heart.  Meena Shamaly who is a composer, musician, Australia’s biggest Oud fan bo...

It took a couple of years but the Steam Deck is officially available today for players in Australia. The reason? Well why don't we let designers Lawrence Yang, Jay Shaw and Yazan Aldehayyat explain. Gianni sat down with Valve's handheld makers in Melbourne to learn how player behaviour has changed with the launch of the portable computer, what to expect from the next generation hardware, a...

With a game series as long running as CIVILIZATION, how do you keep reinventing and refining when you hit the seventh title? With long campaigns and countless hours for each play through, these games take on a life of their own for each player. Recently at Melbourne International Games Week Firaxis Games developers Andrew Frederiksen (Lead Producer), John Fitzgerald (Lead Unit Artist) and Matthew...

If you love the feeling of racing until you perfect the line PHANTOM SPARK might be exactly what you're looking for. Joon Van Hove (NUTS) one part of Icelandic studio Ghosts shares how Torfi Asgeirsson nailed the gameplay before anyone else even came on board. How subtle storytelling, but no plot, was an essential design element, that builds to competitive online leaderboards. Enjoy the retro...

Comedian Tommy Dassalo who you might know from podcasts Filthy Casuals and Little Dum Dum Club, thought it might be too narcissistic to make a game about yourself and charge for it. Lucky SUPER DASSALO LAND is a free prequel to his latest comedy special, so therefore not as narcissistic, and he teamed up with talented Gameboy creator Gumpy Function ( GRIMACE'S BIRTHDAY, UNEARTHED ). It's a...

Have you every wondered what it takes to design one of those sprawling trading card games? It's not that often that a news series pops up, there are a few major series but one of the newest to hit the tabletops is DISNEY LORCANA by Ravensburger. Ryan Miller is the co-designer and brand manager and sat down to share how a childhood love of Dungeons & Dragons, time working at Wizards of the...

Apple Arcade: Enjoy unlimited access to over 200 incredibly fun games with no ads and no in-app purchases. From puzzle and adventure games to sports, racing, and multiplayer action games, everyone can count on finding something to love. Head to sifter.com.au/arcade to start your free trial* of Apple Arcade today and you'll be supporting independent video games journalism. * New subscribers onl...

Have you ever wanted to make the ultimate super hero teamup? Inspired by XCOM: CHIMERA SQUAD, CAPES is the new tactical super hero game where positioning and combo moves are the way to win. Want to put together your own fastball special? Squad composition and positioning is the way to win. Cade Franklin one of the original team on HAND OF FATE joins Lightmap to share the design intentions, making...