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 com…

‍STAR WARS OUTLAWS might be the first game that actually feels like you're in the cities, spaceships and bases of the legendary scifi series. It's an open world game that doesn't feel bogged down with too much list ticking activities. Chris Button and Gianni Di Giovanni share their thoughts on Ubisoft's take on the world of Star Wars, what worked, …

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…

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 …

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…

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 join…

HADES II has been on everyone’s radar since the first game launched in 2020, and this sequel keeps the favourite parts of the previous game but adds heaps of new abilities, battle mechanics and storylines in its early access release. Chris Button sits down with SIFTER Executive Producer Gianni Di Giovanni to unpack the mythical Underworld and see i…

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. Ap…

STELLAR BLADE caught the attention of many when it first debuted, but not necessarily for its gameplay. Flashy in more ways than one, it's certainly generated plenty of heated discussion online. Stephanie Panecasio (GamesHub) and David Smith (Kotaku Australia) join Drop Rate to unpack the many layers of this flashy action RPG. Stellar Blade's metho…

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 c…

With fun combat that never gets old, UNICORN OVERLORD by Vanillaware combines a dash of FIRE EMBLEM, some FINAL FANTASY XII and even a bit of auto-battler genre into a game that makes you change your plans again and again. Chris Button sits down with SIFTER Executive Producer Gianni Di Giovanni to explore the world of Fevrith, making allies and the…

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 she…

The second entry in the ambitious modernisation of Final Fantasy VII series feels like it finally captures that wonder and fun of the original game. With plenty of fun silly moments and tight compelling combat that encourages variety, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is the game you’ve been waiting for. Leah Williams (GamesHub) joins Chris Button on the l…

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 developer of the new BERSERK BOY where you blast through levels switching elemental powers as you go. Learn how Zu bui…

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 more oldschool and played one of their Gameboy Advance games or PlayStation or Wii titles. In an industry that s…

Yordles are fae-like creatures from Bandle City, a magical land where wondrous events occur. If you’re not careful, you may fall into one of the portals leading to the home of the Yordles. BANDLE TALE: A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS STORY captures the magic and whimsy of the lore behind one of League of Legends’ cutest and most mysterious races. You’ll craft,…

The first time is an accident, one of your fellow soldiers stands just a little bit too close to the blast zone as you call down artillery from outer space. HELLDIVERS 2 actually makes it a little bit too fun to explode your allies. Whoops. It's all part of the shtick which really amps up the forever war jingoistic world of Super Earth as you blast…

Like someone made a joke then just massively committed to the bit, LIKE A DRAGON INFINITE WEALTH has just so much in it you can spend ages just chasing what you find fun. Charlie Kelly (Checkpoint Gaming) and Jam Walker (Kotaku Australia, GamesHub) join Chris as they visit Yokohama and Hawaii in search of madcap adventures. You can support SIFTER's…

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) Scott Edgar and Simon Hall from musical comedy group Tripod, singer-songwritter Montaigne aka Jess Cerro join …

It's hard to match the combat and minute to minute gameplay in the THE LAST OF US PART II and the new PlayStation 5 version offers more of the excellent nailbiting gameplay and deeper insights into the developer's creative process. If you treat this new version as premium DLC for the game you already own, the cut content, commentary and new rogueli…

It's been a massive year for video games, with some of the very best games ever made packed into 2023. In our annual special we've collected the entire SIFTER team like Pokémon into one massive end of year episode. We've got massive titles and smaller indies plus our honourable mentions. What ever you choose to play next from this list you'll have …

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 delighted and made the top eight this year. STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL - Adrift & Challenging a Queen (…

Mario has been jumping on platforms now for a really long time, and SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER takes everything you know and mixes it up, with some incredible design that'll challenge and thrill you in equal measure. Ruby Innes (Pocket Buds) and Adam Christou (SIFTER) join Chris for a big discussion about finding representation in Daisy, why elephant…

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 recapture in their weird and wonderful roleplaying game KNUCKLE SANDWICH. With some kicking tunes and fun turn …

Remedy has had a great run lately, the Finnish studio have build their wild and somewhat spooky games into a shared universe which reaches it's apex in ALAN WAKE 2. If you're a fan of genre television like Twin Peaks or the metanarratives in games like IMMORTALITY you'll get a kick out of this sequel. James O'Connor (Kotaku, Gameshub) and Fergus Ha…

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 novel genre where all your choices can lead to an ending. Developers Abby Howard and Tony Howard-Arias join Lightma…

Can MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN 2 up the ante once again? Now both Spideys are back for some dual arachnid action in this PlayStation 5 exclusive. Have Insomniac been able to mix up the gameplay for this third game? Fiona Bartholomaeus (SIFTER, RTRFM) joins Chris Button in an ultimate team up as they take on their experiences with webslinger. You can suppo…

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who cares as much about the Forza series as Alice Clarke. This diehard racing sim fan joins Chris for a discussion of the new entry in the more serious technical half of the franchise with FORZA MOTORSPORT, a game where there is a little bit more fog on the road ahead. Find out if the track is full of potholes,…

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 games of the last 30 years. Gianni sat down with Jonathon Biddle at PAX Australia to explore how this collabor…

ASSASSIN'S CREED MIRAGE is explicitly for those players wanting the simpler stealth action game play of the original games. Originally a DLC chapter for ASSASSIN'S CREED VALHALLA, Basim's adventures through Baghdad are a simpler, tighter experience with lots of the great improvements from 15 years of history. Read our review of the game, then liste…

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 emissions, despite being one of the world's biggest studios, but for many other Triple A game developers they just …

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's smash hit, and it will be rearranged and performed this Melbourne International Games Week with Orchestra Vic…

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 Zammit talking all about STARFIELD Bethesda's huge spacefaring roleplaying game. Follow Drop Rate on your favourite…

It's a massive universe to explore in STARFIELD a game that builds on many of the gameplay systems you've come to enjoy in Bethesda's roleplaying games. Does it live up to the hype after years of development and delays? Well it depends on what type of player you are, but there is lots of fun to be had here. Jess Zammit (Player2.net.au) joins SIFTER…

It's one of the most accessible entries in the From Software's library with ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON showing a clear lineage of game design skill acquired in the ten years since the last entry. The mech combat genre isn't for everyone, but if you're an ELDEN RING fan wanting to branch out into some of the best feeling combat yet, this migh…

Musical theatre isn't to everyone's tastes, and neither is STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL, the highly anticipated debut release from Australian indie team Summerfall Studios. Twisting Greek Mythology into a modern day tale of existentialism with songs, Stray Gods follows Grace, a young woman suddenly thrust into godhood - all while being frame…

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 creative and budgetary constraint of being a small indie team has become a defining feature of his work, with h…

There are few game developers in the world who make more compelling murder mysteries than those at Too Kyo Games. Comprised of team members responsible for the DANGANRONPA and ZERO ESCAPE series, there's a lot of pedigree behind MASTER DETECTIVE ARCHIVES: RAIN CODE. An absolute mouthful of a title aside, Rain Code delivers on the high stakes drama …

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 animals in game since CULT OF THE LAMB. Ivan Papiol one of the artists from Spanish studio Brainwash Gang joins…

Japanese role-playing games specialise in grandeur. Epic tales of warring nations that often involve the direct intervention of godly beings, the genre usually entertains even if the execution doesn’t match its lofty ambitions. Final Fantasy XVI is one such game. Despite a grimdark fantasy setting that stumbles on multiple fronts it’s the combat an…

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 the biggest moments in games. Jordan shares his history as a games writer, the limit of a single game per year an…

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 original release, farming games have risen in popularity: Stardew Valley, Wylde Flowers, and Disney Dreamlight Val…

STORY OF SEASONS: A WONDERFUL LIFE revisits the 2003 farming simulator GameCube classic. In the years since its original release, farming games have risen in popularity: Stardew Valley, Wylde Flowers, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, just to name a few. Ruby Innes (Back Pocket) and Courtney Borrett (Power Up, Kotaku Australia) join us this episode to …

Welcome to Drop Rate, SIFTER’s review podcast. My name is Chris Button and I’ll be your host as we explore the biggest and also smaller new release video games on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC. I’ll be joined each episode by some of the best games writers the internet has to offer and together we talk about how each game made us feel and importa…

Di SIFTER

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 developers all around the world about their practice and it turns out we should be thinking about games in a totally di…

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 Molony and Ben join Gianni for a preview of the game ahead of the launch onto Kickstarter . Learn more about how th…

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, designer and narrative lead Joel Mason , 3D Artist Mikey Bastiaens and 2D Artist Alex Ridge from New Zealand's B…

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 A WITCH), or JDM for short. Award winning Australian developers Scott Ford and Pete Foley join us to share the …

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 media. There are more than 200 stories to experience in our back catalogue so why not learn a bit more about the c…