Pixel Pizza

Pop in this digital cassette and listen in on a new Pixel Pizza 🎧 Joining us from the UK is the co-director at Bytten Studio, Jay Baylis! They are best known for the recently released monster-catching RPG, Cassette Beasts. Jay tells us how he makes his games distinctively British, the times when not balancing gameplay is good, and how multiplayer will be expanded on in the new Cassette Beasts upd...

Welcome back to another teen angst-ridden episode of Pixel Pizza! This week we've got acclaimed comic writer and game developer Meredith Gran on the show, talking about her point-and-click adventure game Perfect Tides and its upcoming sequel Perfect Tides: Station to Station 👨‍🎤 We discuss reconnecting with your inner teenager, how socializing on the internet has changed in the past 2 decade...

Coming soon to your earbuds...from the makers of Pixel Pizza Episode 99 and Pixel Pizza Episode 100...it's *gasp* Episode 101! Alright that bit ran its course. Derek Lieu is this week's guest and he's a professional trailer editor for video games! Derek has made trailers for some of the biggest games in recent memory, like Half-Life: Alyx, Psychonauts 2, Among Us, and many more. He tel...

We made it to triple digits! 🎉🎉 After 2 years, Pixel Pizza has reached the fabled 100 episode mark. We've had 100+ talented guests on the show from AAAs to indies, all with their own insightful perspectives on making games. To celebrate, this episode follows up with a whole bunch of those previous guests about where they're currently at and what they might be up to next! And to top it all off we...

Buckle in for an in-depth, thought-provoking chat with one of gaming's most prolific new creators, Xalavier Nelson Jr! Whether it's for his journalism at Kotaku, his writing for Hypnospace Outlaw, or his own game development ventures like El Paso, Elsewhere, you have definitely seen Xalavier's work before. Topics discussed include the context of how games are made, what devs look for i...

*insert PS1 startup sound here* Welcome to Pixel Pizza episode 98, two away from triple digits! This week our guest is accomplished video host and editor Rosie Caddick. For the past 5 years Rosie has been one of the faces of PlayStation UK's official YouTube channel, PlayStation Access! She tells us about discovering her passion for gaming industry interviews, taking risks and promoting yourse...

Just in time for the weekend, we've got a new show with a new guest and new tunes! Our guest this week is Senior Art Director at Drinkbox Studios, Gabby DaRienzo. Gabby's super impressive resume includes A Mortician's Tale, Celeste, Super Crush K.O., and Nobody Saves the World 😮 We discuss making games about death, connecting with other developers on social media, and Toronto bar laws...

New year, new pizza! Bringing us into 2024 is prodigious animator and developer Mason Hardison, known online as Chaoko. At the age of 25 he's already worked on a number of big-budget titles, including Nintendo's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp! Currently Mason is developing his own project, the high-speed platformer Kilaflow. He tells us about getting hired via Twitter, game design psycholo...

Last show before January, when the time loop begins again 😈 To close out 2023 we've got an incredibly fun and informative chat with the developer behind the emotional and time-bending RPG In Stars and Time! Adrienne Bazir aka InsertDisc5 tells us about her approach to worldbuilding, character art, and narrative playtesting plus lots more. With music from Mabisyo! LINKS: 🌐 Adrienne's Webs...

You made it to Friday! Take a breath and listen to this week's Pixel Pizza with the Social Media & Operations Manager of Extremely OK Games, Heidy Motta. We talk about what it was like behind the scenes during the huge success of Celeste, and how her role on the team has expanded as the team continues working on Earthblade. Chiptunes this week from Opus Science Collective! LINKS: 🌐 Heidy&...

The year is winding down, but there's still a little more Pixel Pizza to go! This week you can enjoy a chat with the incredible pixel artist and game designer at Tako Boy Studios, Phil Giarrusso. Some of his notable works include Shovel Knight Dig, Creatures of Aether, and the upcoming (early access) card game Cross Blitz! Phil explains how he comes up with design rules for each project he&#39...

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving week, listeners! But now turkey is out and pizza is back in 🍕 Bringing us back is acclaimed investigative game reporter Rebekah Valentine! She's handled a number of major stories over at IGN as well as on Gamesindustry.biz and USGamer. Reb tells us all about her reporting process, how she chases down a story, and the present and future of the games industry. S...

In this super exciting episode of the Pixel Pizza Podcast, we talk with creative/art director Rex Crowle! He's worked with a number of beloved studios including Lionhead, Media Molecule, Double Fine, and Terrible Toybox (Ron Gilbert's studio). Rex and I discuss working alongside your heroes, developing an art style that represents the ethos of your game, and bringing every team member'...

I promised there were more brand new episodes coming and here's the next one! In this chill chat we dial into Italy to speak with sound designer Paolo Armao. He's brought his talents to animation, documentary films, VR, and of course video games. Paolo works with 34bigthings, best known for the sci-fi racing series Redout! We talk about bringing audio alive, the importance of flaws in grea...

Get your weekend (or week/day/whenever you listen to this) off to a good start with an all-new Pixel Pizza! This week we've got Australian indie game developer & artist Olivia Haines on the show! She's working on the hotly anticipated Knuckle Sandwich as well as her solo project, the nostalgic and dreamlike Surf Club. Olivia and I discuss designing games around feelings, New Year's...

Sorry folks, another week with no new upload 😢 I really do promise there are more in the pipeline!! So again we've got a little trip down memory lane with an older pod for those who may have missed it. James Landino brought the passion and grooves back in June 2022, and he's still killing it today over in Japan working on games like Omega Strikers so this episode is as relevant as ever. H...

Another week with no guest, sorry folks...I promise there are some exciting ones in the near future!! To give you some weekly content anyway, I've refurbished another classic episode of Pixel Pizza that I really enjoyed making but may have gone unnoticed. Marcus aka Siactro has been making throwback 3D platformers for the past few years and found a lot of success on the Switch with Toree 3D an...

We are so back! This week is another brand new episode with a brand new guest and music selection. Joining us today is the incredible producer and marketer Dianna Lora-- her scrappy adaptable mentality has taken her through some of gaming's biggest studios including Sony, Ubisoft, Zynga, and Deep Silver! Dianna and I chat about supporting your team, taking on new skills, and starting one of th...

No new guest this week so, in the tradition of some great podcasts, reviving an old popular episode for those who may have missed it! Originally published on April 20, 2022 🔥, this talk with the brothers behind Ackk Studios goes in-depth into their creative process and the development & release of their cult hit RPG, YIIK. As the highly anticipated I.V release draws even closer, it's a pe...

💡🎥🎬 What goes into a game cutscene? What makes a cinematic sequence truly cinematic? Find out on this week's Pixel Pizza as we speak to Capcom Cinematic Designer Ryan Wetherall, who's worked on cutscenes for games like TellTale's The Walking Dead, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Cyberpunk 2077! We discuss making the most of the tools in your utility belt, and the differences in Eastern and...

Hope you're feeling free this Friday 'cause we've got the Creative Director of the Game Bakers, Emeric Thoa! His studio is behind some of the most striking games of the past few years, like Furi and Haven. We discuss leading your own studio, the theme of freedom in Emeric's games, and what's next in the oven for the team 🥧 Music tracks from My Sister's Fugazi Shirt! LINKS:...

This episode is high art ✨ Award-winning illustrator and game art director Marlowe Dobbe is here to talk about her journey into the industry! From her local involvement with the Portland Indie Gaming Squad to working with big names like Terry Cavanagh (on Dicey Dungeons) and Mega Crit (devs of Slay the Spire), Marlowe has learned a lot and has some great wisdom to share. Music this time comes fro...

All the way from Sweden comes the founder of Studio Malosi, Niki Chalusi! In addition to leading her studio, Niki is also the producer and deisgner on the "androidpological" visual novel Flavor Favor! We discuss Niki's nonlinear path into the games industry, balancing wholesomeness and serious themes, and leveraging your team members' strengths. Featuring music from Neil Dinsmore! Plus a special g...

Jarvis, play Pixel Pizza. Coming to us from Montreal this week is accomplished game & TV writer Ashley Cooper! She's worked on a number of high-profile titles over the past few years, including Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2, Gotham Knights, and EA Motive's upcoming Iron Man game. We discuss Ashley's journey from TV writing to game writing, different types of game dialogue, and her background in sta...

Foodies rejoice! This week we've got an episode jam packed with not only game development talk but also good eats around the world. This week's guest, accomplished business director and technical director Gwen Foster, has worked on a lot of games you might know: Superhot, Among Us, and Stacklands to name a few. But her current projects, the mind-bending Viewfinder and the Philippines-based...