Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators

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 for Jackbox titles plus a few unann...

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 of Tsushima protagonist Jin Sakai th...

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 that journey took them, exploring id...

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. We dig into the process of designin...

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 talked about composing for Stray Gods. Tune ...

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 thinks about the future for aspiring video...

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 about opening the lens and taking it al...

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 world for a little while.

Listen back t...

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 boy really loves game soundtracks. 

So ...

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, and what they are working on next.

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 Quickel (Senior Lead Environment Ar...

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 aesthetic but don't put too muc...

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 lot of fun so get on board as Kyle gue...

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 Coast and how The Princess Bride le...

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 only. AU$9.99/month after free trial. P...

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 it feel super and how the team who m...

Chris Conte & Dean Ferguson from Queensland's 5 Lives Studios share COZY CARAVAN and ask you te enjoy lo-fi hip hop beats to open a market stall to. Learn why the team wanted to make something that was decidedly smaller than their previous titles, designing this cool stepped animation and why they still want to return to SATELLITE REIGN one day.

Apple Arcade: Enjoy unlimited access to over 200 incredibly fun games with no a...

Can't get your friends to come join you at your house for a night of tabletop gaming? BALADINS by French studio Seed by Seed takes the fun of rolling dice and playing a character and distills it to a cool timeloop adventure.

Jean Nicholas and Thaïs Arias join Lightmap to share their narrative game which was featured as part of Ludonarracon, their coop studio structure and prototyping this cute multiplayer adventure.

Apple Arcad...

It's been nearly eight years since Trent Kusters one of the co-founders of Melbourne's League of Geeks joined me on the podcast. Back in the Pixel Sift days, Trent was working through the early days of ARMELLO their groundbreaking digital board game, but the last twelve months have been some of the hardest for the company.

JUMPLIGHT ODYSSEY was shelved in order to limp along and get SOLIUM INFERNUM across the line. In a ver...