From Haunted Pixels to Conservation: Peter Lazarski on Art, Accessibility, and Indie Game Grit

Indie developer and visual artist Peter Lazarski—aka Imaginary Monsters—joins Nate to explore his creative evolution from childhood horror obsessions to crafting cult-favorite lo-fi games like Halloween Forever and Deathstate. Known for his pixelated gothic aesthetic and offbeat charm, Peter shares how games like Earthbound shaped his visual language and love for physical editions.

The conversation touches on Peter’s iterative design process, how he blends art with mechanics, and why accessibility and emotional tone matter in indie games. He also unpacks the ethos behind his newest project, Don’t Kill the Bats—a whimsical but meaningful game raising awareness for bat conservation.

Peter reflects on developing under an alias, building community through mentorship, and finding creative purpose in strange, spooky spaces.

Check out Peter's Resources:
https://imaginarymonsters.com
https://imaginarymonsters.shop 
https://twitch.tv/imaginarymonsters 
https://discord.gg/imaginarymonsters 

🎮 Favorite Games Mentioned:

• EarthBound (SNES) – Peter’s all-time favorite

• Tactics Ogre (Re-release) – Currently playing

• Persona 5 – Currently playing

• F-Zero, Super Mario World – Childhood favorites

• Commander Keen, DOOM, Wolfenstein – Early PC gaming

• Monster Party (NES) – Referenced for sprite interpretation

• Metroid II (Game Boy) – Admired for its enemy art in the manual

• Ayuda Mort – ZX Spectrum-style indie game that influenced Halloween Forever

• Castlevania – Referenced as a typical “bat enemy” game

• Splatterhouse – Mentioned as a game style he’d love to try

• Rolling Stock – Mentioned earlier as a favorite (possibly in a different episode or cut)
  
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  Check out our brainy games:
  
  Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
  Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
  Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
  Mathler - https://mathler.com
  Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
  Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
  Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
  Wordga - https://wordga.com