In today’s episode, I speak with Ben Fisher, Head of Design on Atomfall and Sniper Elite: Resistance. Ben is a key creative figure at Rebellion, and we take a deep dive into the philosophy and design process behind Atomfall’s open-world RPG structure. 

We talk about the steps that Atomfall had to go through to teach players how to engage with the world they were entering from the very first moments. Atomfall has a different pace to your average open world game, so Ben breaks down the game’s opening in remarkable detail, explaining how environmental cues, limited ammunition, enemy placement, dialogue systems, and even the way the player physically holds a weapon were all carefully designed to communicate that this is not a traditional “run and gun” shooter. Instead, Atomfall pushes players toward caution, observation, uncertainty, and exploration. 

We also discuss the game’s ambitious “leads” system, which replaces traditional quest structures with something far more open-ended and investigative. Rather than being told exactly where to go and what to do, players gather fragments of information and piece together their own understanding of the world. Ben talks about the enormous creative risk behind that decision, how the system evolved late into development, and why the team wanted players to feel more like detectives than objective-followers. 

Along the way, we explore the influence of immersive sims, British speculative fiction, and games like Riven, Dark Souls, Fallout, and Deus Ex. Ben also talks about the iterative reality of game design, how Rebellion balances creative risk with player expectations, and why so much of game development comes down to building systems that allow you to fail, adapt, and discover the right ideas over time. 

The Examined Game

Each week, host Steven Lake asks the creators behind some of the world’s most influential video games about the meaning of life (in video games), leading to conversations about the personal and creative impact games have had on their lives.