When Lucas joined Print Studios, he was stepping into a small, growing studio filled with creative possibilities and people eager to explore them. With a background in computer graphics and a specialisation in game animation and effects, he brought the skills to help turn concepts and artwork into something players could see, feel and interact with.

Recruited by a friend, Lucas was drawn to the opportunity to work alongside a team of highly skilled individuals. Since then, his role has grown beyond animation alone, taking him into illustration, programming and the technical side of game development.

And it all started with a rather satisfying clap.

Where It All Began

One of Lucas’ first tasks at Print was an art test involving Crystal Golem. The game left a lasting impression, not only because it offered plenty of creative opportunities, but because it introduced him to the kind of work that would become a recurring part of his journey at the studio.

From glowing Scatter crystals and the Golem’s upgrades to rocks breaking apart and the atmosphere of its cave setting, there was plenty to experiment with. It was also where Lucas worked on the Golem’s signature clap, an animation that still hits the right note for him today.

Lucas also contributed some work to Book of Destiny around that time, but Crystal Golem gave him a much broader playground for animation. The enthusiasm around the team, along with the confidence to brainstorm and explore new ideas, helped set the tone for his early experience at Print.

More Than Just Animation

Over time, Lucas has expanded his skills well beyond bringing characters and objects to life. Developing his abilities in illustration and programming has given him a stronger understanding of the stages surrounding animation, from planning how something should work to implementing it in the game.

That wider skill set has also changed how much control he has over the finished result. Rather than treating animation as an isolated task, he can consider how it connects with the game's presentation and help make the overall experience feel more seamless.

The tools available to the team have evolved, too. Particle editors, animation and music synchronisation tools, physics systems and shaders have opened up more possibilities for how movement, effects and sound can work together.

For Lucas, progress isn't just about making an animation look better. It's also about understanding how all its moving parts contribute to the final experience.

Making Every Movement Count

Animation in a Print Studios game is about more than movement for movement's sake. It helps explain mechanics, establish atmosphere and make important moments feel satisfying. That means the process often begins before every element of the game has been finalised.

By getting involved early, the team can explore how new features should be presented and how animation can connect the game's mechanics with its visual theme. Art, sound and animation need room to develop alongside one another, particularly when a game introduces something that hasn't been done before.

Characters bring another dimension to this process. Their movements and reactions can give them personality without needing to spell everything out. A moment of anticipation, a sudden surprise or an enthusiastic celebration can tell players something about a character while reinforcing what's happening on the reels.

As Lucas explains:

“You can either convey personality through the story and whatever makes sense in the world we're building, or you can imagine it from a player's perspective and try to mirror the reaction you expect them to have.”

That balance between the world of the game and the player's own experience helps make animation feel like a natural part of the action.

A Town Full of Possibilities

Ask Lucas to pick a favourite project, and one title stands out: Tarasque.

The game's style gave the team room to pack a remarkable amount of personality into its small town setting. From a cinematic introduction and a cast of distinctive characters to the Tarasque itself, with its different abilities, the project offered plenty of opportunities to experiment with movement, timing and spectacle.

There was even a big win concert to bring to life.

The range of ideas made Tarasque especially memorable for Lucas, but it's far from the only project that has left him proud of his work. He also points to the mermaids in Out of the Ice, the big win dance in Big Stack Lumberjack, the jumpscares in Dreadworks and the tactile cards featured in Print's Deck games.

Other standouts include the drones in Reapers, the first Jumbo Potato and the battles in Eldritch Dungeon. Each represents a different creative challenge, showing just how varied animation can be across Print's catalogue.

Rather than having one signature style to rely on, Lucas gets to adapt his approach to the world, characters and mechanics of each game.

A Team Effort Behind the Scenes

Although animation can look like a very individual craft, getting it right depends on close collaboration.

At Print, the artists often prepare characters and illustrations in separate, animation-ready pieces. They may also create different expressions or mock up effects to help establish how a scene should work.

From there, the process can take different directions. Sometimes Lucas animates the artwork that's already been prepared; sometimes the music helps determine the movement and timing. In other cases, he starts animating with placeholder elements, allowing the artists to create artwork that fits the animation afterwards.

This flexibility makes it easier for different disciplines to influence one another as a game develops. It also reflects Lucas' broader approach to his work: understanding the needs of the project as a whole, rather than focusing only on the animation in front of him.

When he needs fresh inspiration, he might turn to the team for a brainstorming session, explore artists' portfolios on ArtStation, browse Pinterest or play games for reference. He enjoys discovering new releases but still finds himself drawn to older slot games too.

Always Room to Push Further

Since joining Print, Lucas has continued to learn new tools and techniques, strengthen his coding and illustration skills, and develop the planning and communication needed to work effectively with a wider team.

That appetite for learning remains a big part of what drives him. Looking ahead, he wants to keep building his knowledge across different areas of game development while finding new ways to push his animation work further.

He's particularly interested in creating more of those standout moments that make players stop and take notice, and in narrowing the gap between slot games and other forms of video games.

From the satisfying clap of the Crystal Golem to the cinematic world of Tarasque and the battles of Eldritch Dungeon, Lucas' journey reflects how much room there is to experiment within game animation.

And if his time at Print so far is anything to go by, there are still plenty of new worlds, characters, and moments left for him to bring to life.