Episode 6: Rika Lim

Summary In this episode, Lars Janssen interviews Rika Lim, a lead level designer in the gaming industry. Rika shares her experiences working on various projects, including Payday 3 and Project Baxter. They discuss Rika's love for characters in video games and her choice of Igor from the Persona series as a character she would like to talk to. Rika also talks about her passion for point-and-click adventure games and her interest in working on games like Gabriel Knight. They delve into Rika's transition to a leadership role and the challenges she faced in delegating tasks. They also discuss the importance of structure and culture in a company and the challenges of collaboration in the industry. Rika shares her aspirations for her next project and the importance of challenging oneself and creating a supportive environment in game development. Takeaways Rika Lim has worked on various projects in the gaming industry, including Payday 3 and Project Baxter. She is passionate about characters in video games and would love to talk to Igor from the Persona series. Rika has a love for point-and-click adventure games, particularly Gabriel Knight. She faced challenges in transitioning to a leadership role, including delegating tasks and finding a balance between hands-on work and management. Rika emphasizes the importance of structure and culture in a company and the challenges of collaboration in the industry. Her dream project would involve working with a team that is open to trying new things and challenging themselves. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:44 Rika's Career and Recent Projects 02:08 Discussion on Singapore and Gamescom Asia 02:29 The Love for Characters in Video Games 03:41 Talking to Igor from the Persona Series 05:31 Games Rika Would Have Loved to Work On 08:45 Working on Gabriel Knight and Point-and-Click Adventure Games 09:49 The Difference in Level Design for Point-and-Click Adventure Games 11:36 Games Rika Would Erase from Her Memory to Play Again 13:42 Crucible Moment: Transitioning to a Leadership Role 17:22 Challenges of Being a Leader and Delegating Tasks 20:52 Importance of Structure and Culture in a Company 21:42 Challenges in the Industry and the Importance of Collaboration 23:06 The Impact of COVID-19 on Communication and Collaboration 26:10 Dream Project and the Importance of Challenging Oneself 29:13 Rika's Next Opportunity and Focus on Level Design 33:06 The Importance of Structure and Environment in Game Development 34:18 Closing Remarks