Creative Collaboration Podcast

How do award-winning games come together when hundreds of people are involved? In this episode, Martin sits down with Ilari Kuittinen , Co-Founder and Studio Head of Housemarque, to explore the realities of creative collaboration in modern game development. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Ilari shares insights into building creative teams, scaling from indie projects to AAA produ...

In this episode, Michael Schade (CEO, Rockfish Games) shares the raw story behind Everspace — from bankruptcy and publisher betrayal to Steam Platinum success and 800,000 Game Pass players. We cover: • Surviving insolvency • Killing features mid-development • Building trust through radical transparency • Why alignment beats ego leadership • Founder-led marketing strategy • Community as a growth en...

In this episode, veteran game designer Martin Annander reflects on nearly 20 years in the industry and breaks down what creative collaboration really looks like in game development. We discuss: Why constraints can make games better How collaboration breaks down in silos Task forces, decision-making, and leadership Healthy conflict and killing your darlings Remote work, trust, and creative ownershi...

In this episode, Adam Boyes shares lessons from decades in the games industry—from QA at EA to leadership roles at Capcom, PlayStation, and Iron Galaxy. We explore why defining “what a game is not” matter, and how trust-driven collaboration leads to stronger teams and better games. Topics include: - Building clear creative vision - Empowering teams vs. director-led development - Handling conflict...

In this episode, I speak with game-industry veteran Jules Proux about a number of things, including creating environments where artists, engineers, designers, and producers can communicate through a shared creative vocabulary, extracting “tribal knowledge” when joining established projects and balancing creative and commercial voices early in development. #GameDevelopment #Leadership #CreativeLead...

Star Stable’s Art Director Björn Jankes shares what it takes to lead creative teams — with empathy, not ego. Discover how diverse perspectives, trust, and tough calls (“kill your darlings”) shape great games. 💡 Insights on creative teamwork, leadership, and growing your craft. #GameDevelopment #Leadership #CreativeTeams

In episode 3, I talk to Matt Zoern about building games with strong core experiences, fostering creative collaboration, and making tough production decisions. Learn how cohesive teams, passion, and listening to your gut lead to better games—and why asking questions and continuous learning are key for newcomers. With 20+ years in the games industry, previously at studios like EA, Funcom, Nvizzio, a...

In this episode, my guest is Theodor Diea, Founder & CEO of Goose Byte, a development studio based in Montreal. A former AAA developer, having contributed to games such as Ghost Recon Future Solider, Just Dance 4 and 2014, Mother Russia Bleeds, Brave Frontier, and Rainbow Six Siege, Theo now leads the team behind the upcoming survival game The Signal: Stranded on Sirenis.

In this debut episode, I’m joined by Jerome Ortmann, Senior Marketing & Brand Director at Saber Interactive, a brand marketing and publishing expert with previous roles at Ubisoft, Avalanche Studios and Fatshark. In this episode, we dive deep into the creative and commercial aspects of game development. Our guest shares firsthand experience working with developers, studios, and creative teams,...