In today’s episode, I speak with Ben Fisher, Head of Design on Atomfall and Sniper Elite: Resistance. Ben is a key figure at Rebellion, and we break down how Atomfall’s opening establishes tone, pacing, and player behaviour in its open-world RPG design.

We get into the granular detail of how players are guided through environmental cues, limited resources, and design decisions that steer the player away from a “run and gun” attitude.

We also explore the game’s core philosophy: designing for uncertainty. Ben talks through the iterative process behind Atomfall’s systems, from dynamic loot and environmental storytelling as well as the risk he and the team took on their “leads” mechanic that replaces traditional quest structures—encouraging players to act more like detectives than objective-followers.

Today I sit down with Kelsey Beachum, writer of Outer Wilds, for a deeply honest conversation about the creative process — including what it was like collaborating with her brother Alex Beachum on one of the most loved games of the past decade.

We discuss the fear and anxiety of putting your work into the world when you've poored your heart and soul into it and the strange phenomenon of imposter syndrome that can come even when the response from players is overwhelmingly positive. Kelsey reflects on what it means to feel unworthy of the reception a game receives — and how she navigated that.

We also dig into Kelsey's career since Outer Wilds, which has included work on Avowed and The Outer Worlds and talk candidly about burnout — what causes it, what it costs, and the importance of finding collaborators and companies whose values align with your own.

This was one of the most open and generous conversations I've had on the show. Kelsey held nothing back, and I think anyone who makes things — games, films, stories — will find something here that resonates.

In today’s episode I speak with Nina Freeman about how one learns from their mistakes, and how one learns to learn from them.

Nina is a video game developer who finishes every game she starts. She is known for her autobiographical approach, incorporating her own personal life experiences into her work.

I’m a huge fan of Nina’s personal projects, including Cibele, as well as her contributions to Tacoma and, more recently, Dont Nod’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.