Pixel Sift

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.S

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

‍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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

Trigger Witch is a twin-stick shooter where firearms have replaced the magic of a fantasy world. You take on the role of Colette as she unravels the story of this mashup world, a world that writer Jono Pech helped shape. Developed by New Zealand's Rainbite, Trigger Witch takes you to a Super Nintendo inspired world as you unleash carnage. ‍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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

Before We Leave is a mostly non-violent strategy game where players emerge from a bunker to reclaim their world after a disaster in a beautiful hex built world which has just made its Steam debut. Developers Anna Barham and Sam Barham from New Zealand's Balancing Monkey Games wanted to make a game that actively challenged the inherent colonialism in many other strategy games as you rebuild in a world once yours. 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.Support the show: https://sifter.store

Eastern Market Murder takes you back in time to the scene of a horrific crime, all while walking through the streets of Melbourne using augmented reality to meet the characters involved. Can you bring the killer to justice? Emma Ramsay and Andy Yong join us to talk about how they researched the history of this true crime, and worked with the descendants of the real world people involved to create this interactive game. 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.Support the show: https://sifter.store