In this episode, I chat to Lynds Gallant - a freelance design and art director with experience in both indie and AAA about the importance of understanding both the artistic and technical aspects of game design, and how a solid foundation in art can enhance collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

From her experiences in both styles of studios, Lynds offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really means to be an art director today and how the role differs depending on your team.

Oh, and we also have a repeat number of minor existential crisis's throughout the conversation... just an average weekday I guess. 😂

John Tearle co-founded Flix Interactive - originally a team of independent developers and now one of the biggest co-development studios in the UK. Flix have become a powerhouse for assisting studios build large open-worlds and have worked on games like Sea Of Thieves, Mafia: The Old Country and Crackdown 3.

So, in this episode of About Game Dev we explore the process of how John has grown Flix as a studio, the ups and downs of working on multiple projects, the difficulties sustaining a studio of its scale, and why co-development plays such an important role in the industry as whole.

🔗 Checkout Flix's Work - http://www.flixinteractive.com

Cliff Harris has been making independent games for over two decades, building and cult classics like Democracy, Gratuitous Space Battles, and Kudos long before indie development became what it is today.

In this episode of About Game Dev, we talk about his journey through the uk games industry, how a WWII history book inspired Gratuitous Space Battles, why he believes it became the first auto-battler years before the genre exploded in popularity, and what it was like watching that happen with very little recognition.

We also dive into game design, indie publishing, AI, building sustainable studios, and the lessons Cliff has learned from more than 20 years of making games.

If you're interested in game development, design, or the realities of building a long-term career as an indie game developer, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation.

Check Out Cliff's Games 👉🏻 https://store.steampowered.com/developer/positech/

▶️🚕 Wishlist Cabs Of Chaos - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2923770/Cabs_Of_Chaos/

▶️ Support The Patreon - http://www.patreon.com/GameDevGuide