It’s the 2025 Q4 PartyChat from Good Game Edmonton and Digital Alberta!

In this quarterly update, we welcomed Rowan Sommerfeld (CGDA), Mike McCready (NAIT/Digital Alberta), and Rosche Rheeder (Lucid Rain Studios) to unpack another productive three months of the evolving game development landscape in Alberta.

From the impact of AI on workflows and the challenges of attracting investment to the growth of the Calgary and Edmonton games scenes. And somewhere between a Smash Bros tournament in Calgary and a literal fire alarm at a games conference in Edmonton the provincial scene is progressing.

What We Covered:

• Moving past the hype of AI into actual workflows and how new CRTC standards are reshaping Canadian content
• Miles "Soonsay" Foster's global Smash Bros run and the launch of Calgary Games Kiln
• Arcanaut Studios lands a Lucasfilm Games partnership for the spiritual successor to KOTOR, headed up by BioWare legend Casey Hudson
• How NAIT's new specialized Game Development streams are training next gen developers
• Real talk on the Alberta Game Series and practical advice for pitch competitions
• Edmonton-based Lucid Rain Studios getting IGN feature, plus full-time team

Listen now and catch up on everything that made Q4 the most exciting quarter for Alberta games yet.

Games & Studios Featured:

• Hunters Moon by Crimson Herring Studios → Wishlist on Steam
• INFERIUS by Lucid Rain Studios → Wishlist on Steam

Connect With Us:

• goodgameyeg.ca
• digitalalberta.com
• calgary.games

What happens when a Juilliard-trained playwright and award-winning comedian designs video game narratives?

Leif Olesen-Cormack (The Low Road, Tales Noir Preludes) discusses the biggest creative challenges in game development today. Plus, more on his multifaceted arts career.

Leif and Cory attempt to unpack their version of the heated debate around artificial intelligence, discussing why AI is fantastic for mundane tasks but can lack the crucial "soul" and human experience needed to craft truly meaningful art and comedy. This leads to a discussion on how Leif’s work in games forced him to reverse-engineer stories to align with existing game mechanics and complex conversation puzzles. Not to mention dealing with the unique difficulty of landing jokes in a game where traditional comedic timing is disrupted. In the final act, we learn why growing up in the Edmonton arts scene provides an unexpected advantage over major creative hubs like New York.

Plus, Leif offers a preview of his upcoming comedy album recording, Alone Ranger.

Important Links:

• thelowroad.com/
• store.steampowered.com/app/2020030/Tails_Noir_Preludes/
• leifoc.com/
• edmontonarts.ca/event/leif-oleson-cormack-alone-ranger-live-album-taping
• instagram.com/leifoc/
• store.steampowered.com/app/3001200/Tails_Noir_Rebel_Rush

It's the Q3 Party Chat from Good Game Edmonton and Digital Alberta!

This time, welcoming two industry voices: Nathaniel Rossol of VR Cave and Travis Gibson of Snowed In Studios to break down the latest in Alberta's interactive digital media (IDM) scene.

This episode celebrates major wins and tackles industry-wide disruption:

• Shipping & Scaling: Hear how VR Cave landed CMF funding to build a "full-blown, much larger" game, Heroes Together VR, and scored almost 2,000 wishlists at Gamescom.
• Co-Dev & AAA: Snowed In (Starfield, Fallout Shelter) offers insight into the essential world of co-development and what it takes to thrive in the AAA pipeline.
• Industry Shakes: The panel addresses the anxiety around recent widespread layoffs and the massive $55 billion leveraged buyout of EA, offering advice on resilience and why smart studios still greatly value juniors and new professionals.
• Community Milestones: A rundown of the 10th anniversary of GDX, the recent Alberta Game Jam, new initiatives like Baby Ghosts Alberta, and the Alberta Scholastic Esports League (ASEL) call for venue proposals for the 2026 Alberta Esports Championship.

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• ⁠Important Links:

  • digitalalberta.com

  • snowedin.ca

  • vrcave.io

  • basementbunkerlabs.com

  • interactiveartsalberta.org

  • itch.io/jam/alberta-game-jam-2025

  • babyghosts.fund/peer-accelerator

  • lucidrainestudios.com

  • gameinvestwest.ca

  • norquest.ca/esports

  • asel.gg

  • edmontonscreen.com

  More of the show: goodgameyeg.ca⁠