Lightmap - Conversations with video game creators
Technology
About
Lightmap is an Australian Podcast Award winning show that explores the creative process of making videogames and interactive media, and introduces you to the creators of some of the most exciting titles. You'll meet developers, musicians, artists, journalist and more, so come join us here and on SIFTER.com.au
Episodes
- Will Obsidian ever get the chance to make another FALLOUT game after NEW VEGAS? Josh Sawyer answers
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…
- Alanah Pearce has a plan to stop Hollywood gatekeeping game adaptations
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-…
- World of Warcraft: Midnight revisits the old with housing, revamped zones and a massive middle chapter
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 re…
- Edmund McMillen on the making of Mewgenics, BIG Camdrome rumours and more!
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…
- Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II & Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The best soundtracks of 2025
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…
- Taking BABY STEPS to get over it: Bennett Foddy says his games aren't that difficult
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 an…
- Where the heck is Morley? Good Games Morley on breaking the algorithm as Magic The Gathering stars
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 a…
- GAVIN VERHEY principal designer of MAGIC on gamebreaking FF8 Vivi, Universes Beyond & potential Australia set
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 Fanta…
- Keeping the party going, the Jackbox developers share JACKBOX PARTY PACK 11 and what is coming next
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 introduc…
- Behind Ghost of Yōtei: Quest design, Cinematic samurai influences & Designing around different play styles
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 &a…
- Moving on from CELESTE and why cancelling EARTHBLADE felt right
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 tra…
- Pulpy point and click THE DRIFTER is one of this year's most stylish games
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 thri…
- The Sound of Indie Symphony II with Austin Wintory
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…
- TEMPOPO is the rhythm puzzle game from the makers of UNPACKING
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 flow…
- LUSHFOIL PHOTOGRAPHY SIM ask you to open the lens and take in the beautiful isolation
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…
- Setting your own limits: CITIZEN SLEEPER 2: STARWARD VECTOR builds on the scifi roleplaying game
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 a…
- The best videogame soundtracks of 2024 - Meena Shamaly's top 21 tracks from 13 games
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 y…
- Valve's Steam Deck designers on the making of the groundbreaking handheld computer
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 ma…
- Making history anew with CIVILIZATION VII, the next game in the milestone series
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 pl…
- Racing and liquid raves PHANTOM SPARK is precision racing without the pressure
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 els…
- Comedy specials and a brand new Gameboy game, comedian Tommy Dassalo on SUPER DASSALO LAND
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…
- Complexity is fun, designing the DISNEY LORCANA trading card game
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 Ravensb…
- SCHIM is a cute joyful stealth puzzle set in the shadows of the real world
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. He…
- CAPES is a super heroic tactics game from the makers of HAND OF FATE
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? S…
- COZY CARAVAN has cute stepped animations and chill lo-fi vibes
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 prev…
- BALADINS is a time-loopy RPG for up to four pals where you can't save everyone at once
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…
- League of Geeks almost shut up shop, their last big play is SOLIUM INFERNUM
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…
- BERSERK BOY is a fast paced platformer with the soul of Sonic the Hedgehog
Did you grow up blasting through Green Hill Zone or Casino Night Zone? Maybe you spent hours defeating the nefarious schemes of Dr Wily. These colourful platformers hold a fond place in the hearts of many including Zu Ehtisham solo develop…
- The enduring appeal of FRUIT NINJA, reinventing the game for Apple Vision Pro
Queensland based Halfbrick have been making games for almost 25 years, and chances are if you’ve picked up a phone in the last decade you’ve played one of their games. Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, Age of Zombies or maybe you’re a bit m…
- Austin Wintory, Tripod, Montaigne on writing the Grammy Award nominated STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL
The groundbreaking STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL is pretty unique and the very first Australian made game to be nominated for a Grammy Award, which will be awarded today. Composers Austin Wintory (JOURNEY, ASSASSIN'S CREED SYNDICATE)…
- The best game soundtracks of 2023: ZELDA: TOTK, BALDUR'S GATE 3 & more
We listen back through this incredible year of games with our friend Meena Shamaly , musician, composer and host of ABC Classic's The Game Show. It's Shamaly Selects 2023 and boy are there some incredible pieces to listen to. Here is what…
- KNUCKLE SANDWICH is an RPG inspired by best of GBA and Nintendo DS games
If you grew up playing the Gameboy Advance and the Nintendo DS, you might have missed the aesthetic those games created at the time, but you'd definitely remember the vibes. Those vibes are what Andy Brophy and Olivia Haines are trying to…
- A voice says SLAY THE PRINCESS. What you do next is up to you
SLAY THE PRINCESS is a horror narrative visual novel where you've got one task. You're here to slay a princess, but if you do is actually up to you. This game brings branching narratives and a style of roguelite gameplay to the visual nove…
- THE PLUCKY SQUIRE jumps between 2D and 3D worlds and is a gorgeous homage to gaming's past
THE PLUCKY SQUIRE feels like a world of pure imagination. Jonathan Biddle and James Turner head up All Possible Futures a completely remote studio working on the gorgeous game that acts as a love letter to some of your favourite genres and…
- Are video games causing climate change?
If you want to play a video game you have to plug something in, that power comes from somewhere and Dr Ben Abraham , has completed the second annual Net Zero Snapshot for the games industry. Ubisoft is leading the charge dropping their emi…
- Orchestrating the CULT OF THE LAMB ritual, River Boy on making this catchy soundtrack
When you first hear the soundtrack for CULT OF THE LAMB it's immediately clear how much of a part it is to the experience of the game. Narayana Johnson who performs under River Boy made his first soundtrack when working on Massive Monster'…
- Drop Rate - STARFIELD boldly goes, a compelling science fiction adventure among the cosmos
We've got some brand new episodes of Lightmap on the way, featuring some very cool guests but to get you there here is the latest episode of Drop Rate featuring Chris Button, SIFTER EP Gianni Di Giovanni and Player2.net.au writer Jess Zamm…
- IMMORTALITY's Sam Barlow on why AI art could never really replace people
The first thing you notice when you see a game made by Half Mermaid the studio lead by Sam Barlow is that it doesn't really look like a game, the full motion video looks more like a TV show or movie. For Barlow what initially started as a…
- Motorbike stunts and metrovania combine in stylish LAIKA: AGED THROUGH BLOOD
You know when you just look at a game and think, everyone is going to be talking about this? LAIKA: AGED THROUGH BLOOD combines some of the best motorbike tricks of TRIALS with a stylish story featuring some of the coolest anthropomorphic…
- The history of video games, one year and one game at a time
How do you condense more around forty years of interactive history into one book? Games journalist Jordan Minor (PC Mag, The Escapist) has taken on this task, with a new beautifully illustrated book " Video Game of the Year " which charts…
- Drop Rate SIFTER's new review podcast - STORY OF SEASONS A WONDERFUL LIFE
Subscribe to Drop Rate our new review podcast for free. Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Pocket Casts -- STORY OF SEASONS: A WONDERFUL LIFE revisits the 2003 farming simulator GameCube classic. In the years since its ori…
- PLANET OF LANA has its own secret language and galaxy spanning story
It might not look like it, but PLANET OF LANA is actually Wishfully's very first game after a long career in TV and animation. Lead game designer Adam Stjärnljus and script writer Klas Eriksson who both co-directed the game have been worki…
- The video game industry does not exist
You might be thinking looking at the name of this episode, hang on, haven't you been making a games podcast for nearly a decade now? Well that's the title of a new book from games researcher Brendan Keogh , who has been speaking to develop…
- DROS is an alchemical platformer inspired by dark 80s fantasy like The Dark Crystal
Creative Director Ben Ward describes the world of DROS as kimo-kawaii or creepy cute taking direct inspiration from 1980s dark fantasy films, this platformer has you switching characters on the fly to complete each level. Producer Tim Molo…
- Why DREDGE a cosmic horror fishing game is reeling people in
There is something not quite right below the waves and in DREDGE you're pulling it all back up to the surface. This lovecraftian fishing game is simple and addictive, with plenty of creeping terror bubbling below the surface. Programmer, d…
- Why real rental horror stories are part of this spooky comedic game
Everyone has a horror story to tell when it comes to renting, there are some downright scary experiences out there, and Sydney's Fuzzy Ghost are trying to collect the best of the worst for their next game JANET DEMORNAY IS A SLUMLORD (AND…
- What is Lightmap? Meet video game creators and hear their story.
Lightmap is SIFTER 's interview podcast, it's won an Australian Podcast Award and features frank and honest conversations with video game creators. We talk to developers, musicians, artists and more about why they create for interactive me…
- Explore the heavens in JUMPLIGHT ODYSSEY and delve through hell in SOLIUM INFERNUM
The digital boardgame ARMELLO was how Melbourne's League of Geeks made their name but seven years since that ground breaking indie game was released the studio this year will be sharing not one but two new games. Kelsey Gamble is the Publi…
- Why aren't there more video game musicals like the upcoming STRAY GODS?
STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL combines narrative adventure games with realtime dynamic songs that change as you make choices. Liam Esler, Managing Director of Melbourne's Summerfall Studios shares how musicians Montaigne and Tripod h…
- Has this developer nailed the modern 8bit JRPG? 8 BIT ADVENTURES 2, a love letter to classic Final Fantasy games
Retro inspired videogames are a dime a dozen but what happens if you lean in all the way, play with the nostalgic experiences of those people who grew up with the NES and the Gameboy to make something truly modern. Joshua Hallaran from Cri…