News
February 23, 2026
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Good Game Club Podcast Explores the Cultural Power of Games with ustwo CEO and Ukie Chair Maria Sayans
The Good Game Club podcast continues its mission to champion the positive power of play with the release of Episode 2 today, February 24, featuring an in-depth conversation with Maria Sayans, CEO of ustwo Games (developers of the Monument Valley franchise) and Chair of UK games trade body Ukie.
Hosted by games industry pioneers Jude Ower and Mathias Norvig, the episode brings together creative, cultural and policy perspectives to examine how video games are shaping our values, attitudes and behaviours – Sayans describes games as “the most emotionally impactful 21st century native medium.”
Sayans reflects on her career spanning more than two decades, from leading global AAA launches at EA and BioWare to heading one of the UK’s most celebrated independent studios. She discusses ustwo Games’ commitment to making games as mainstream and accessible as possible, and how important it is to balance business realities with artistic craft and positive impact.
The conversation also tackles the urgent need for greater representation of women at senior levels of the industry - “It's insane that there are not more women in the industry, particularly at senior places leading games, leading studios, leading companies … It absolutely needs to be addressed, it really is not where it needs to be,” she says.
Reflecting on her role as Chair of Ukie, she says she has a responsibility to help shape the industry’s future “because the industry is going through pretty challenging times, and through a complex transition.” On creating games such as Monument Valley, she says: “It’s definitely one of our ambitions that we always want to start from a personal place … because we think that if you’re clear about what that personal thing is and you go deep enough, it’s going to be universal and therefore it’s going to connect with a really broad audience.”
Throughout the episode, Sayans highlights how emotionally resonant, accessible games like Monument Valley can connect generations and bring families together.
Good Game Club builds on the success of Jude Ower and Mathias Norvig’s bestselling book Gaming for Good, bringing global voices together to explore how games can be a positive force for people and the planet through thoughtful, in-depth conversations.
The Good Game Club podcast is supported by a strategic partnership with Tencent, uniting shared ambitions to accelerate understanding of gaming as a powerful, positive cultural medium.
Episode 2 of the Good Game Club podcast featuring Maria Sayans is available now and can be viewed here. For more information, please contact comms@goodgame.club.
