Pixel Sift

What is a game without it's soundtrack? Meena Shamaly, composer and host of ABC Classic's The Game Show joins Gianni for a musical journey through some of the best sounds in video games. Check out the full list on our website: The Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2022 with Meena Shamaly Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's our bumper Game of The Year special, we've got six different games for you as well as a bunch of honourable mentions from the SIFTER team. It was a very hard choice this year with lots of incredible games. You can read a full write up of our favourites on the SIFTER website. SIFTER's 2022 Games of the Year Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Johannsson has been working on MORSE, inspired by a love of alt controllers and limited button inputs, in this game that combines real morse code and grid based combat. Alex joins Gianni to talk about the development of the game over many years and why cool weird controllers are really a big source of inspiration. Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miltia is one of the biggest Vtubers in Australia, a partnered streamer on Twitch and she's made a career connecting with fans all over the world. You'll find her playing Apex Legends most days and she said vtubing as really allowed her to connect better with her audience. Mitch finds out what it's like vtubing, how the community responded to her new look and what she thinks of the current Apex Legends metagame. WATCH THE VIDEO INTERVIEW on our website  - What is it like being a vtuber? Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeff Van Dyck is a BAFTA award winning composer and sound designer, who has worked on FIFA, the TOTAL WAR series, and most recently UNPACKING as one third of Queensland based studio Witch Beam Games. Jeff shares the story of how he came to work with a small indie studio after working Triple A titles for years, the story telling in each of the pieces of music and how the next project TEMPOPO mixes rhythm and puzzle solving. You can catch Jeff Van Dyck at Melbourne International Games Week as part of APRA AMCOS High Score, presenting the closing keynote on Sunday 2nd of October. Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WE ARE OFK is an episodic visual novel by Team OFK that pulls together a lot of really interesting elements. It's not only got it's own virtual band with an EP of great electronic pop, but contains some of the most genuinely written conversations you'd expect to overhear from that cool group of twenty somethings in the bar. Director/Writer, actor and OFK Vocalist Teddy Dief (HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER) and Co-Writer Claire Jia (Nora from Queens, Fresh Off The Boat) share the creative story of making this game, why you might be able to catch OFK on stage very soon and why making complicated queer characters is important. Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starring legendary Australian actors Michael Caton, Anne Charleston and newcomer Nancy Curtis as lead character Casey, WAYWARD STRAND is a very Australian narrative indie game with as much voice acting as 18 feature films. Nancy Curtis who plays Casey and Maize Wallin sound designer, audio programmer and composer from developer Ghost Pattern share the process of recording these performances all across the world to put together this unique story of a young journalist.  Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you remember WAY TO THE WOODS? The post apocalyptic game where you play as a magical deer moving through the ruins of humanity was revealed in 2019 as an Xbox exclusive but for mostly solo developer Ant Tan, it's been a long process of getting everything right. We sit down with Ant to find out some of the design inspirations, learn more about the game play, how Steven Universe and IKENFELL composers Aivi & Surrashu are making the soundtrack and when it's coming out.  Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CURSED TO GOLF is a rogue-like or as developer Liam Edwards likes to call it a "golf-like" platformer with some excellent tunes and beautiful pixel art graphics. We speak to Liam about the origins of the game as a small personal project, building up the team to polish it, design decisions and gameplay design as well has find out what tips he'd give to new players. There are also a few secrets and easter eggs hidden in the game as well, so learn where you should keep an eye out! Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORE Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER.Support the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CULT OF THE LAMB is really two different games in one, a town builder and a dungeon crawler, but they've been welded together using arcane magics by the creative team at Massive Monster (THE ADVENTURE PALS, NEVER GIVE UP) into an experience that keeps you busy. Julian Wilton, Creative Director and Will Mesilane, UI Developer share the secrets hidden in this world, what it took to build this cult management game and what they are most proud of in this exclusive interview. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORESupport the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CARD SHARK is a beautiful picture book styled video game where you cheat your way through 18th century France and every single graphic you see was hand printed and then scanned into the game. Lead artist and animator Nicolai Troshinsky was inspired by a love of card magic and sleight of hand, as well as a 1975 Stanley Kubrick film to build this amazing and unique game and joins SIFTER for an in depth conversation about the process of design. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORESupport the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WITCH STRANDINGS is a mouse controlled "strand-type" game, where you make connections and paths across a cursed world. Even though Hideo Kojima wanted to turn DEATH STRANDING into a genre, it was Xalavier Nelson Jr and the team at Strange Scaffold who did it first   Learn more about this open world adventure through a forest, how the game runs WOLFENSTEIN 3D every single frame, and the hope that can be found in connections   SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by buying us a coffee on KoFi or some merch on the SIFTER STORESupport the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DLC and expansions could be a possibility for NEON WHITE, the anime inspired speedrunning shooter , but you'll need to let Game Director Ben Esposito know what you'd like to see. Ben shares the Y2K Dreamcast aesthetics of import CDs from Japan and how Machine Girl's music shaped this world, what they are doing about leaderboard cheaters, as well as how he feels about your thirstiness for all the characters in the game.  SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by heading to the SIFTER STORESupport the show: https://sifter.storeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone is talking about V RISING, Stunlock Studios' survival game which has just entered early access and then rocketed up the Steam charts to be one of the most popular new titles around. For Community Manager Jeremy Fielding, it's a dream come true, this is the first game Fielding has worked on and there's also the challenge of managing more than 1 million players in the first couple of weeks. Learn more about the roadmap forward, how the team is tailoring the experience and what to expect as this game which is still in active development keeps evolving. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by heading to the SIFTER STORE Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if Link was a cute fox? At first glance TUNIC looks like a beautiful spiritual successor to THE LEGEND OF ZELDA franchise, but as lead developer Andrew Shouldice shares with us in this interview, it also embraces modern "souls-like" gameplay.  TUNIC is filled with lots and lots of secrets, the game was at one time called Secret Legend, and Shouldice said it's all about capturing that feeling of playing a game in the pre-internet Nintendo era where a game feels like limitless exploration.  SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CITIZEN SLEEPER is a tabletop inspired roleplaying game from Gareth Damian Martin (IN OTHER WATERS) that puts you in the shoes of person trying to escape their digital enslavement in the far future. If it sounds grim, in parts it is, but quickly you discover your place in the world where you can make a life. Each day you've got just the dice you've been dealt, as you choose how to fulfill your goals or avoid negative countdowns, in a stylish visual novel with stunning artwork byGuillaume Singelin and a kicking scifi soundtrack by Amos Roddy. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inspired heavily by the CARMEN SANDIEGO series, CHINATOWN DETECTIVE AGENCY is a contemporary take on the format set in a cyberpunk Singapore in 2037 where social and government support has languished. Creative Director Mark Fillon from Singapore's General Interactive Co shares the authentic design and characters you'll meet as you jet off around the world in search of answers as ex-cop Amira Darma in this glorious pixel art game. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you work in the games industry it can be surprisingly complex to get your name into the end credits, that ending sequence often doesn't include everyone who helped to ship that video game. Project based work and short contracts, and inconsistent recognition makes it more complex than you'd think for developers to get the acknowledgement of the work put in. It's something that Alexander Swords, one of the members of the Games Credit Special Interest Group (SIG), part of the International Game Developers Association wants to change with a standarised system of creative credits. Read a written version of this story on our website:Credit where credit is due: Game developers call for simpler, consistent creative credits SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

André Read always wanted to make a real time strategy game. A huge fan of the genre, it was many years working in the industry before he got his chance with TFC: THE FERTILE CRESCENT set in the plains of Mesopotamia. Teaming up with Anders Grønningsæter the two person team at Wield Interactive have crafted a multiplayer RTS game built with their Discord community that reimagines the classic format. They dive into the world of historical RTS games, the influence of Age of Empires on the genre, and the ways in which The Fertile Crescent works to streamline elements of the genre to create new systems and frameworks. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Philip Buchanan from It's Anecdotal was part of the teams that made the awarding winning LARA CROFT GO, HITMAN GO and DEUS EX GO mobile games, and had has just released the charming multiplayer party game MINI MATCHES. It's a collection of Philip's favourite genres with excellent visual design and something for everyone. Learn more about how making 39 DAYS TO MARS and other games have shaped the development of MINI MATCHES. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord to be part of the conversation Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After seven years without any federal government support for the games industry, a new grant program called the $6 million Games Expansion Pack from Screen Australia was announced on Friday last week. This program replaces a successful but prematurely cancelled fund called the Australian Interactive Games Fund which was axed when this government came to power in 2014. Our guests on this episode are Paul Turbett of Black Lab Games, one the original recipients of the AIGF, speaks of the huge impact this small funding had on his business Ron Curry of IGEA, Australia's peak game development body, shares the campaigning and lobbying it took to bring this fund to life Lee Naimo, Head of Online at Screen Australia, runs through why it happened now and how it all works and John Daskalopoulos, CEO of Not Doppler, who was part of the funding announcement with Minister Paul Fletcher shares how much of a difference this funding could have made, and what opportunities it'll allow now SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our Australian made T-Shirts Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONAN CHOP CHOP is a reimagining of the world of Conan The Barbarian that sees the rippling oiled muscles replaced with cartoony top town aesthetic reminiscent of Flash games or kids cartoons.  It's the first console title for Mighty Kingdom, a studio that is more well known for their mobile titles, but it was an excellent creative challenge for Kim Forrest, Creative Director and Jeff Wong, Producer to reimagine this world for a new audience. Learn more about the inspirations behind this fun multiplayer top down rogue-lite and why announcing it in on April Fools day meant lots of people thought it might be all a joke. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Omny Studio for their support of SIFTER. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our Australian made T-Shirts Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explore a drowned society, a city that has sunk beneath the waves and discover how life has continued after people in non-combat adventure game SUBMERGED: HIDDEN DEPTHS. The sequel to 2015's SUBMERGED might not exist if not for Google Stadia, it was an exclusive title for the streaming service, which meant it couldn't be played in the Uppercut Games' home country. Ed Orman (FALLOUT TACTICS, BIOSHOCK, CITY OF BRASS) is a cofounder of Uppercut Games and said that the upcoming Playstation PC, and Xbox releases wouldn't even be possible without the Stadia team's help. Learn more about why this beauty of exploration in this game offsets the tragedy of a world struck by cataclysm. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our Australian made video game inspired shirts Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Walkthrough SIFTER's brand new weekly news recap show. Each Sunday we'll highlight some of the biggest stories in video games to keep you up to date. Your host on each episode of Walkthrough is Kyle Pauletto, an accomplished journalist with a keen interest in bringing you the best gaming stories each week  THIS WEEK: Nintendo outlines 2022 and beyond in it's first Direct - Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Kart 8 DLC, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Earthbound GTA V sells 160 million copies ahead of PS5 Xbox Series X re-release Activision Blizzard games will remain on Playstation after Microsoft acquisition EA won't release Sims 4 My Wedding Stories in Russia due to restrictions on LGBT+ content Halo composers try to requst injuction on release of Halo TV series due to remuneration dispute Inside the Team17 after announced then cancelled Worms NFT project Indie video game marketplace calls NFTs "a scam" SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Kyle Pauletto, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our Australian made video game inspired shirts Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KARDBOARD KINGS is a store management game about a collectible card game, where you do everything but actually play the card game, managing a small town store inspired by working in retail. Oscar Brittain (DESERT CHILD, WORLD'S FASTEST PIZZA) and Rob Gross are Henry's House, they share the challenges of writing believable characters, why speeding up the game made it so much better and how delaying the game to add more features worked for them. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How bad for the environment is game development? Terry Burdak from Paper House and Ben Abraham a researcher on the Environmental impact of video games join us to talk about their project to find out. They'll be tracking the exact energy usage while developing their next game WOOD & WEATHER and aim to make the process easy for other studios to do the same. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's that time of the year, where we sit down and consider all the amazing games we've played in 2021. This is part two of two episodes featuring the SIFTER team. Gianni Di Giovanni has been loving the historical touches and puzzle solving narrative of THE FORGOTTEN CITY by Modern Storyteller Adam Christou has become lost in the beautiful desert world of science fiction adventure SABLE by Shedworks Daniel Ang has strapped on the armor and jumped head first onto Delta Halo in HALO INFINITE by 343 Industries. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch Support the show: https://sifter.store See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‍Nick Lowe, Lead Developer at Hungry Sky, first had the idea for NEKOGRAMS a cute sokoban style puzzle game where you move cats onto pillows until they are comfy in the late 2000s, but it took many projects and years until it was ready for players to enjoy. Lauren Fletcher lead artist on the game didn't know she'd be making games when she first started illustrating, and has contributed the adorable kitty aesthetic. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's that time of the year, where we sit down and consider all the amazing games we've played in 2021. This is part one of two episodes featuring the SIFTER team. Nicholas Kennedy shares the genre-subverting MUNDAUN by Hidden Fields, a horror game that brought a lot of joy Fiona Bartholomaeus teams up with a rag tag crew in Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY by Eidos-Montreal Mitchel Loh takes time to put everything in it's right place in UNPACKING by Witch Beam Games SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

UNPACKING is a pixel art puzzle game tasks you with simply sorting items from boxes into rooms all the while telling a story of a woman's life. ‍Wren Brier & Tim Dawson from Witch Beam join us to share about how they have injected emotion and spirit into their little organisational puzzle game which is entirely environmental storytelling. Lightmap is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BOOK OF TRAVELS is a different type of MMO experience focusing more on the story and playing the game at your own pace. Dennis Gustafsson from Might and Delight joins us to talk about the philosophy of BOOK OF TRAVELS and the world they are building. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER Discord Support SIFTER by buying our merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Visser started learning to make games like a lot of people who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, by tinkering away on their computer when they ran out of things to play. That fascination and support from family lead to further studies and making games with studios like Torus Games and Melbourne House. Over twelve weeks Daniel rebuilt ALIENS: THANATOS ENCOUNTER for Gameboy Color from scratch contracting with a company in the UK, which started the company Wicked Witch in earnest in 2001. Learn a bit more about the history of this long running studio which has made AFL, NRL titles and remastered AGE OF EMPIRES II: DEFINITIVE EDITION. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang&Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Join the SIFTER DiscordSupport SIFTER by buying our merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Queensland based studio Prideful Sloth returns to the podcast with their brand new low pressure town building adventure game GROW: SONG OF THE EVERTREE, which doesn't have the time pressures of other games in the genre. Developers Cheryl Vance and Adam Markham share their design philosophy for the game which was influenced not only by games like ANIMAL CROSSING and STORY OF SEASONS but also PERSONA 5. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In most zombie survival games, you eventually reach a point where you become so powerful there is nothing in the apocalypse that can stop you, but in THE LAST STAND: AFTERMATH an isometric rogue-lite, you start the game infected with limited time left to make a difference. The fifth game in THE LAST STAND series which originally started out as a Flash game developer Chris Condon of Con Artist Games shares the history of the series, how the game has been modernised and the world players will be jumping into on November 16. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BROKEN ROADS is a classic isometric roleplaying game by Victorian based studio Drop Bear Bytes that's set in and around the Western Australian wheatbelt community of Brookton after a cataclysmic event . Game Director Craig Ritchie and Art Director Kerst Evans join Lightmap to share the world of BROKEN ROADS, how narrative and player choice will determine the narrative path, and how documentary series Aussie Gold Hunters inspired the look of the game. SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Australia's Mighty Kingdom (CONAN CHOP CHOP, AVA'S MANOR, PETER RABBIT RUN!) is rapidly expanding and according to COO Tony Lawrence they want to be Australia's answer to an EA sized studio. Tony has worked previously as General Manager of 2K Australia (BIOSHOCK series, THE BUREAU: XCOM DECLASSIFIED, BORDERLANDS: THE PRE-SEQUEL!) and with industry representative groups GDAA and IGEA. Speaking broadly of the economic incentives for new studios, what it was like to see foreign companies shut down the studios he helmed and what the future might hold this conversation is a great insight from one of Australia's veteran game developers.  SIFTER is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is well-known amongst both developers and players that Australia has one of the most onerous and hardline classification systems in the world. From AAA titles including FALLOUT 3 to indies including DISCO ELYSIUM and most recently SLUDGE LIFE and LAKE, there are a significant number of titles that run into release problems under our current classification guidelines. In this PAX Australia 2021 panel, we'll explore how the videogames classification system works, the impact of interaction on classification, we'll look at the history of games that have been refused classification and pose the question - isn't it time our videogames classification system was overhauled? Screenhub's Jini Maxwell, Freeplay's Chad Toprak and ACMI's Arieh Offman joined SIFTER's Gianni Di Giovanni for this fun discussion . Lightmap is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mel Taylor from Brisbane's Mellow Games was inspired by her own life to make BLUEBERRY a story focused platform game with light puzzle elements that follows a character's life from beginning to end. This semi-autobiographical game explores how our perspective shifts throughout our lives, climbing a tower filled with memories that you can replay as you get older and understand new points of view. This episode was broadcast live as part of PAX Radio at PAX Australia 2021, supported by Audio Technica. Lightmap is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi my name is Gianni, and this week marks the sixth year that I've been the Executive Producer of a podcast called Pixel Sift. In 2019 we won the Australian Podcast Award for the gaming category, and it's still one of my proudest achievements. In 2019 with a video game review show called Mainstream and shared our experiences with some of the bigger higher profile titles that everyone was talking about.   What I'm most proud of is that often one of the very first interviews that a developer does with the press was with us, and we've worked hard to highlight teams of all shapes and sizes. I'm really pleased to announce that today we're starting a new chapter. Welcome to SIFTER. It's a new consistent look and a new name, but one I think you'll be pretty familiar with. That's not the only thing with a new name, if you've refreshed your podcast player today you'll notice that our interview podcast is now called Lightmap. It speaks to what we're trying to achieve with this show, illuminating conversations on the creative process, a guide to what some of the most interesting and creative teams are working on , and discussions around the intersections of culture and interactive games. Starting with episode 181 we'll officially be in season 2 of the show. Our review podcast Mainstream keeps it's name but is sporting some new paint. You can follow us on social media where our handle has updated as well, we're now sifterhq on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch and YouTube. We've revamped our website, that's now at sifter.com.au and you can find collections of games that we've covered and look at all the stories, gameplay videos and head straight onto the stores to pick them up and support the teams, read news, reviews and more. And coming up on the 2nd of October we're hosting a launch party, it's called the SIFTER SHOWCASE and I want you to be a part of it head to sifter.games for more information. We've got a bunch of interviews with the teams behind games like Cult of The Lamb, Broken Roads, Knuckle Sandwich and Heavenly Bodies. It's going to be a lot of fun so we'd love to see you there. We've said this a bit over the years, but honestly the best free thing you can do support the show is to recommend us to your friends, get them to listen to Lightmap or Mainstream or share an article or video you enjoyed. Here's to the next chapter, until next time have fun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‍Iris and Paul Anstey of Melbourne's Melting Parrot are first time game developers, but their teamwork on DAP a spooky adventure game with a charcoal drawing aesthetic is a combination of this couple's interests. Recently awarded the top prize at Japan's Bitsummit, The Vermillion Gate Award, and the prize for best sound this Pikmin like twin stick shooter hides complexity within it's visual style. Pixel Sift is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johnny Galvatron of Melbourne's Beethoven & Dinosaur almost became a 3D animator, but musical success with his band the Galvatrons saw him head down another path. A love of games and storytelling never left him and once the touring was over his next project began with the musical adventure THE ARTFUL ESCAPE. This narrative sci-fi adventure game combines Hollywood talent like Lena Headey, Jason Schwartzmann (who turned up to recording sessions in cosplay) and Carl Weathers, baby, for a cosmic musical story set in a beautiful world. Pixel Sift is produced by Nicholas Kennedy, Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Webbed is an cute pixel art platformer from Queensland based Sbug Games and features an adorable spider using her web-spinning skills and LASER EYES to save her boyfriend! Originally designed as a Just Cause 2 demake, the web like linking grappling hooks inspired this much anticipated game featuring stacks of Australian animals. ‍Riley Neville (Programming, Art, Sound and Game Design) and Noah Seymour (Level and Game Design) Join us on the show to talk about the origins of the mechanics and how some of the levels began their life on paper! ‍Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Michael Kasumovic is an evolutionary biologist at UNSW and founder of science education organisation Arludo who this week is taking to Twitch as part of National Science Week to teach kids through video games. Quokkapocalypse is a free game developed as part of the Sydney Science Trail that shows the impacts of predators and prey in an environment as you balance the populations. Quokkapocalypse on Apple App Store Quokkapocalypse on Google Play You can watch the livestreamed event which is in partnership with the Australian Museum on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/arludo at 3:00PM Sunday 22nd August Australian Eastern Standard Time. The music in this episode is Guitar House by Josh Pan. Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Louden (Returnal, Quantum Break, STONE) and Convict Games are back with BURN a brand new interactive narrative game with a branching story following pop start Nina Burn through the different phases of her life. Building on the experiences of making STONE, the hip-hop stoner noir game, and as Narrative Director on Housemarque's Returnal Louden shares how the story weaves music and stardom with a a soundtrack follows your choices. Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Developer Paul Schnepf, one third of Grizzly Games who made Islanders and Superflight, was inspired by Tony Hawk Pro Skater to take up skateboarding when he was a kid, but nothing ever really captured the actual feel of skating. That's why he made THE RAMP, a isometric minimalist skating game with no points that looks amazing and tries to capture that state of flow. Music in this episode from the game The Ramp composed by Paul Schnepf and Hendrik Lux. Thanks to Paul for providing us with a copy of the game. Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alisha Stone is the Creative Director of Tasmania's Myriad Game Studios, a small team that have just released the narrative story game Where The Snow Settles. Where the Snow Settles draws inspiration from filmic genres telling the story of Aurelia as she travels through a world facing ecological collapse. Learn how the team juggled other work and balancing their expectations to deliver a game that can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of their level of expertise with games. Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Turbett and Anthony Sweet of Perth's Black Lab Games are no strangers to big franchises, they made the critically and fan acclaimed strategy game Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, but when the opportunity came to work on one of the biggest science fiction universes Warhammer 40,000 they leapt at the challenge. Warhammer 40,000 Battlesector is that game, which has been released this week to rave reviews exploring the stories of the Blood Angels Space Marine chapter in their clashes with the beastial Tyranids. WATCH A VIDEO VERSION THIS STORY HERE:Warhammer 40,000 Battlesector - How a small team in Western Australia made one of the best 40K games Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Brian Fairbanks from Salty Dog Sounds composed the Mainstream theme music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Put your urban planning hat back on for Mini Motorways a minimalist puzzle game where you build roads in an ever expanding levels and makes its Steam debut this week. Casey Lucas-Quaid is Community Manager at New Zealand based Dinosaur Polo Club and share the fun feedback given by players, how to set up a good community ground rules and how this game evolved from Mini Metro which we featured on Episode 80 of the podcast  Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Build your own cross-planet delivery vehicles and trek across the great red marble in Mars First Logistics, the newly announced game from multi-award winning game designer Ian MacLarty. We spoke to Ian about the ideas behind the game, designing the perfect mars rover and more. Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jump behind the wheel of an amazing transforming spy-machine in Agent Intercept by New Zealand's PikPok which has just made it's Steam debut after arriving on Apple Arcade last year. Rick Stemm, Design Manager & Robin Wilson-Davey, Production Artist shared their design inspirations and what it took to bring this mobile game to your PC. Pixel Sift is produced by Viv Thum, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is Senior Producer and Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Thanks to Salty Dog Sounds for some of our promo music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gianni, Fiona, Adam and Nick sit down to discuss the completely online E3 2021 streamed around the world for all to enjoy. We've found our highlights and can't wait to share them with you, but why not share yours with us by visiting https://www.pixelsift.com.au/discord to join our Discord server. Pixel Sift is produced by Scott Quigg, Sarah Ireland, Fiona Bartholomaeus, Daniel Ang & Adam Christou. Mitch Loh is our Senior Producer, Gianni Di Giovanni is our Executive Producer. Brian Fairbanks from Salty Dog Sounds composed the Mainstream theme music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.